Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group, has threatened Israel that a new war with his group could see “thousands of Shi’ite militia forces” joining from places like Iraq, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. While Nasrallah bantering and lambasting the Jewish state is nothing new, the reported shelling of Golan Heights could be a signal to an escalation in the clash between Hezbollah and Israel.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Farda via Skype, Seth Frantzman, opinion editor of The Jerusalem Post, said he believes the new threat by Nasrallah has been taken very seriously in Jerusalem.

“I do not think Israel takes serious the concept that there are hundreds of thousands of fighters, that is obviously a boast and an exaggeration.” Frantzman told Farda from his office in Jerusalem.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been accused of trying to form a Shi’ite crescent from against its arch-enemy, Israel, and the regional Sunni Arab states led by the rival Saudi Arabia.

Watch Full Exclusive Video Interview with The Jerusalem Post Opinion Editor, Seth Frantzman.