Iran warns of "painful retaliation" for any resumption of U.S. strikes

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has called on Lebanon's government to further its engagement with Israel - and tacitly, to sideline the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah which, while designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel, has been a massive force in Lebanese politics for decades. "Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation," the embassy said in a social media post on Thursday, warning the "time for hesitation is over." The post did not refer directly to Hezbollah, but said Lebanon should have "never been at war" with neighboring Israel. Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the regional conflict by launching attacks on northern Israeli communities in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28. Israel responded with overwhelming force, opening a new offensive against Hezbollah with a blistering campaign of airstrikes across the country, and later an ongoing ground invasion in the south of Lebanon that authorities say has killed almost 2,590 people and displaced more than a million. Israeli leaders have said forces will continue to occupy a buffer zone across southern Lebanon, from which residents have been forced to evacuate, indefinitely, until the Hezbollah threat is removed. …