World leaders call for caution against an escalation
As Israel considers the next step following the weekend’s drone and missile attack by Iran during the weekend, world leaders are cautioning against an escalation.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said his country would do all it can to avoid further escalation.
“We are all worried about a possible escalation,” Macron told BFM TV and RMC radio in an interview.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron called on Israel not to retaliate, framing Iran’s attack as a “almost a total failure.”
“If you’re sitting in Israel this morning, you’re thinking quite rightly, we have every right to respond to this and they do. But we are urging that they shouldn’t escalate,” Cameron told British broadcaster Sky News on Monday.
“In many ways this has been a double defeat for Iran. The attack was an almost total failure, and they revealed to the world that they are the malign influence in the region prepared to do this. So our hope is that there won’t be a retaliatory response.”
Saturday saw Iran launch hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in response to a suspected
Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria on April 1, in which two Iranian generals were killed.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday said it had intercepted 99% of the over 300 drones and missiles launched.
Airports in Iran resume operations after attack on Israel
Iranian state media has reported the reopening of airports in Tehran and elsewhere on Monday followingIran’s drone and missile attack on Israel.
Flights had been suspended following Saturday’s first direct attack on Israeli territory, which came as a response to an attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria that Tehran blamed Israel for carrying out.
The IRNA news agency reported that “flights at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran were back to normal as of 6:00 am (0230 GMT).” Other airports across the country were also reported to be in operation.
The Iranian attack led to fears of possible Israeli retaliatory strikes with airlines suspending operations in the region.
Neighbouring countries Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon also temporarily closed their airspace.