Iran’s president warns of “strong response” if Israel retaliates

Tehran: Iran urged Israel on Sunday not to retaliate militarily over the unprecedented overnight attack, which Tehran presented as an appropriate response to the deadly attack on its consulate building in Damascus Iran’s mission to the United Nations “The matter can be considered closed,” it said in a post on social media platform X, hours after the operation began late Saturday. The Iranian mission warned, “However, if the Israeli regime makes another mistake, “Iran’s reaction will be very serious.”

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel and its allies against any “reckless” action following Tehran’s drone and missile attack on Sunday, marking the first time Iran has launched a direct military attack on Israeli territory.Raisi said in a statement “If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters display reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and very strong response,” he said.

After several countries condemned Iran’s attack, Tehran’s Foreign Ministry called on the French, British and German ambassadors “following the irresponsible position of some officials of these countries regarding Iran’s response,” a statement said. had summoned him.

Late Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps announced it had launched “dozens of drones and missiles” toward military sites in Israeli territory.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations earlier this month called it a “legitimate defense”, saying “Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic compounds in Damascus”. Israel’s military said it With the help of the United States and other allies, 99 percent of the drones and missiles were shot down, and Iran declared the attack a “failure”. Iranian army chief Mohammad Bagheri said the attack had “achieved all its objectives”. And “there was no intention to continue this operation”. Bagheri said Iran’s retaliation hit an “intelligence centre” and the airport, from which Tehran says Israeli F-35 jets fired 1 On April 1, a flight was launched to attack the Damascus Consulate.

“Both of these centers were largely destroyed,” he said, although Israel said the attack caused only minor damage.

Attack ‘Telegraph’

Experts have suggested that Saturday’s slow-motion drone strike was calibrated to represent a show of force, but there was some leeway.

Nishank Motwani, senior analyst at Australian Strategic, said, “It appears that Iran telegraphed its attack on Israel to show that it could attack using a variety of capabilities, complicating the ability to neutralize the attack. as well as provide off-ramps to prevent strain.” Policy Institute in Washington.

“The situation could escalate if Tehran chooses between different factors,” Motwani said.

Over the past two weeks, Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to “punish” Israel after an attack that demolished the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed seven Quds Force guards, including two generals.

Iran blamed Israel for the attack. In the days following the attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel would be “slapped for that action”. Since Iran’s 1979 revolution, Israel has been a staunch enemy of the Islamic Republic. While supporting the Palestinian cause, one of the pillars of the Islamic revolution, Iran has often called for Israel’s destruction.

However, until Saturday, Tehran had also refrained from direct attacks on Israel. Instead, since the war in Gaza began between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, it has launched a series of strikes against Israel as part of the so-called “axis of resistance”. Members it has supported include Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Hours before the attack on Saturday, Iran had seized a container ship belonging to Israel in the Gulf, in what Washington called an “act of piracy.”

‘The next slap will be even worse’

During the night, Tehran warned the United States, urging it to “desist” from its conflict with Israel.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said “if necessary”, Tehran “will not hesitate to take defensive measures to protect its interests against any aggressive military action.”

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian later said that Tehran had informed neighboring countries before the military operation, insisting that it was intended to “punish the Israeli regime”.

“We are not looking to target American people or American bases in the region,” he said, but he warned that Iran could target American military bases involved in “defending and supporting” Israel.

“The next slap will be even fiercer,” warned a mural unveiled overnight in Tehran’s Palestine Square, where several thousand people gathered, chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”