Israel and Iran traded threats on Tuesday after Tehran’s first ever direct attack on its arch-foe sharply heightened regional tensions as the Gaza war ground on with no truce in sight.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran would not get off “scot-free” after Iran and its allies launched a barrage of over 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel at the weekend.
‘Cannot let it pass’
“We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Mr. Hagari said, a day after Israel’s military chief vowed there would “a response” to Iran’s offensive.
Iran said its attack was an act of self-defence following a deadly Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria, and that it would consider the matter “concluded” unless Israel retaliated.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned that “the slightest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response”.
U.S. President Joe Biden stressed on Monday that “the United States is committed to Israel’s security” and wants to prevent the conflict from spreading.
Washington, Israel’s top ally and arms supplier, has made clear it will not join Israel in any attack on their common adversary Iran, a senior U.S. official said.
World leaders have urged restraint and de-escalation.
Putin’s remark
During a phone call with Iran’s Mr. Raisi, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on both sides to “prevent a new round of confrontation fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region”, the Kremlin said.
Israel has meanwhile kept bombing targets in Gaza, the Hamas-ruled coastal territory that has been largely devastated by more than six months of war and a siege on its 2.4 million people.
