BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese group Hezbollah condemned Israel's wave of strikes on its backer Iran on Friday, warning that they threaten to "ignite the region".

 

"This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire and destruction," Hizbollah said in a statement that condemned the strikes as a "brutal" aggression.

 

Long seen as the Iran-led axis's most powerful group, Hizbollah was severely weakened after its latest war with Israel, which ended in a ceasefire agreement in November.

 

Most of the group's leaders were killed and much of its military capacity destroyed in a conflict that started when Hizbollah launched attacks in support of its ally Palestinian Hamas in Gaza.

 

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah was to withdraw from border areas and hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state.

 

Hizbollah leader Naim Qassem expressed his support for Iran "in all the steps and measures it takes to defend itself and for its choices".

 

The Lebanese foreign ministry condemned Israel's attack, and said it was "continuing its contacts" to spare the country from being dragged into any conflict.

 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel's strikes "did not target the Iranian people alone, but also targeted all international efforts being made to maintain stability in the Middle East and neighbouring countries".

 

Aoun called on the international community to "take effective and swift action to prevent Israel from achieving its goals, which are no longer hidden from anyone".

 

Amid the regional developments, Lebanon's national carrier Middle East Airlines cancelled all flights on Friday to and from Jordan and Iraq.