Hezbollah: Iran could strike U.S. bases if Israel attacks

Hassan Nasrallah hints Hezbollah could target Israel's nuclear reactors even with its conventional arsenal.

Iran could strike U.S. bases in the Middle East in response to any Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, the leader of Lebanon's Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said on Monday.

"A decision has been taken to respond and the response will be very great," Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen television.

"The response will not be just inside the Israeli entity - American bases in the whole region could be Iranian targets," he said. "If Israel targets Iran, America bears responsibility."

Nasrallah also said that Hezbollah has no chemical weapons but can still cause great damage to Israel if there is a war. He said Hezbollah does not need chemical or nuclear weapons, "but there are targets in Israel that (if hit) can achieve the same results," an apparent reference to Israel's nuclear reactors.

Israel and Hezbollah fought an inconclusive month-long war in 2006 that left 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis dead. Hezbollah fired nearly 4,000 rockets at Israel during the war and is believed to have upgraded its arsenal since then. 

haaretz.com

3/9/12