Iran's ambassador to Lebanon injured in pager blast incident
People gather outside a hospital, as hundreds of members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, including fighters and medics, were seriously wounded on Tuesday when the pagers they use to communicate exploded, according to a security source, in Beirut, Lebanon Sept. 17, 2024. (Reuters Photo)


The Iranian envoy to Lebanon was injured after his pager exploded on Tuesday, Mehr news agency said, as hundreds of Hezbollah members also reported similar blasts blamed on Israel.

Ambassador Mojtaba Amani was one of the people who were injured after wireless communication devices known as pagers exploded in Beirut.

"Amani has a superficial injury and is currently under observation in a hospital," Fars quoted a source as saying.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart, strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" and thanked Lebanon for providing immediate medical treatment to Amani, Iranian state media reported.

The state-run National News Agency called the incident an "unprecedented security incident," without providing any further details.

Local media reports suggested that the devices exploded after an Israeli breach of the communication system.

The Lebanese Health Ministry, for its part, urged all citizens who own pager communication devices to immediately dispose of them.

The Lebanese Red Cross said 50 more ambulances and 300 emergency medical technicians are on standby to assist in evacuating the victims following the mass pager explosion.

Tensions have mounted along the Lebanon-Israel border amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv presses ahead with an offensive against Gaza. The offensive has killed over 41,200 people since last October following a Hamas attack.