Israel vows revenge for missile attack, Iran warns retaliation will be swift

US to hit Iran with new sanctions: Treasury Secy

ISRAEL’S MILITARY chief of staff Herzi Halevi had promised that Saturday night's launch of more than 300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran into Israel “will be met with a response”.

Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani had told state TV Monday night that Tehran’s response to any Israeli counterattack would come in “a matter of seconds, as Iran will not wait for another 12 days to respond”.

Israel’s war cabinet was set to meet for the third time in three days on Tuesday, an official said, to decide on a response to Iran's first-ever direct attack.

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday that any action against its interests “will certainly be met with a severe, widespread and painful response against any perpetrator”, according to the Iranian Student News Agency, a day after Israel warned it will respond to Iran’s weekend strike.

While Iran’s attack caused no deaths and little damage, it has increased concerns that violence rooted in the Gaza war is spreading, and fears of open war between the long-time foes.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Y ellen on tuesday said iran' s attack on Israel last weekend and its financing of militant groups in gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq threatened West Asia’s stability and could cause economic spillovers.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was “leading a diplomatic attack,” writing to 32 countries to ask them to follow Washington in proscribing its dominant military force, the Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a terrorist group.

Reuters Gazans mourn relatives’ deaths in Rafah on Tuesday.