JERUSALEM (AP) —

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed threats made by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, saying the Iranian-backed group is "in distress" and "very embarrassed."

Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that the Hezbollah leader "broke his silence" in a televised address on Saturday because the militants group faced major financial pressure due to U.S. sanctions against Iran, and because of a recent Israeli operation to eliminate Hezbollah tunnels crossing into Israel.

Nasrallah's address was his first public appearance since November, during which time Israel intensified strikes against suspected Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah in Syria. He warned Netanyahu not to continue attacking Syria, lest he "drag the region into a war or a major confrontation."

Netanyahu says "Nasrallah has good reasons not to want to feel the might of our arm."