Samir, a senior Hezbollah commander who oversees 800 Hezbollah guerillas, told the Daily Beast in an interview that as soon Iran gives Hezbollah the green light, they will wage war against Israel. The officer, who only goes by the name ‘Samir’  couldn’t reveal his full name as he is not authorized to talk to the press.

The official also said that. the next war will be much different from those that came before. He added that the Iranian backed guerilla organization “will fire the first shot this time”.  According to the source, Hezbollah has amassed troops on the border with Israel both on the Lebanese border and the Golan Heights border with Syria.

Although the commander admitted that the terror organization is reeling from recent sanctions placed on Iran, he also boasts that morale is high.  “The sanctions now have us preparing for dealing with the Israeli front,” he says. 

 Samir spoke of technological upgrades in their war against Israel including “drone capabilities and new anti-aircraft and anti-naval weapons acquired in Syria”. The commander added: “If any missile hits Iran, it will be treated like Israel did it,”.

The interview comes on the same day that the United States placed sanctions on Hezbollah operative Salman Raouf Salman, a member of Hezbollah’s External Security Organization (ESO), who is behind the planning and executing of terror attacks outside of Lebanon.

Israel maintained a military presence inside southern Lebanon until then Prime Minister Ehud Barak recalled all military personnel from the security zone in 2000.