On Tuesday, Iran issued a flight path security warning for its airspace, stating that military exercises are scheduled for 7 and 8 August, “with the possibility of long-range air-to-air missile tests taking place,” according to Iranian media.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese resistance group Hizballah fired several drones into Israel, as Israeli warplanes flew low over Beirut, and Israel continued its savage attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and across the occupied West Bank.

These developments came amid a tense hour by hour wait across the region for the promised response from Iran and Hizballah to Israel’s assassinations last week of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hizballah commander in Beirut, and Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the political wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, who was visiting Tehran.

Both Iran and Hizballah have vowed a harsh response, but have remained mute about when it may come and what form it may take.

In a speech Tuesday, Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the anxious wait imposed on Israel was part of its punishment: Israel’s whole economy and society were effectively on hold.

He also noted that Israel, while still strong, is much weaker than it used to be. Unable to defend itself and deter its enemies on its own, Tel Aviv must increasingly rely on the United States, European countries and even Arab regimes to come to its rescue.

Setting out a broad analysis of the regional picture, Nasrallah emphasized that at this stage, the priority for the resistance axis must be to prevent an Israeli victory against the Palestinian resistance.

The Hizballah leader warned that if the Palestinian resistance were to be defeated, nothing would stand in the way of Israel’s plans to annex the occupied West Bank and exterminate or expel the Palestinian people to Jordan. No state in the region, especially Lebanon, would be safe, Nasrallah said.

Joining us to talk about the latest developments is Helena Cobban.

Helena is a writer and author with decades of experience and knowledge about the region, and she is the director of Just World Educational.

She and Rami Khouri have co-edited a new book based on Just World’s latest project, “Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters,” which is forthcoming from OR Books.

Nora Barrows-Friedman, Asa Winstanley and Jon Elmer of The Electronic Intifada were joined by journalist veteran journalist and analyst Helena Cobban on the day 306 livestream. You can watch the entire broadcast here: youtube.com/live/4pwsAMT1HWQ

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