‘Attack and you will feel pain’
IRAN: PRESIDENT WARNS ISRAEL ABOUT ‘SLIGHTEST ACTION’ Country acts in ‘self-defence’ after embassy strike.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has warned Israel it will face a “painful response” if it takes the “slightest action” in response to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile barrage at the weekend.
Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, which began on Saturday, was in response to an 1 April air strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, which has been widely blamed on Israel.
The strike levelled the five-storey consular annexe of the Iranian embassy and killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.
“We firmly declare that the slightest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response,” Raisi said in a call late on
Monday with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Raisi reiterated that Iran was acting in “self-defence”, saying the operation targeted Israeli bases used to carry out the consulate strike, a statement from his office said.
He criticised the support of some Western government for Israel.
Israel’s armed forces chief has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack against the country, even after appeals for restraint poured in from world leaders fearing wider conflict.
During six months of war between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hamas in Gaza, Iran’s proxies around the region have stepped up attacks on Israel and its allies, saying they are acting in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Tensions were already high before Iran launched its assault on Israeli territory, firing hundreds of missiles and drones in retaliation for the deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
“This launch of so many (Iranian) missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response,” Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi said on Monday, addressing troops at the Nevatim airbase, which was hit in Iran’s Saturday night barrage.
The Israeli army has said the vast majority of the weapons were shot down – with the help of the United States and other allies – and the attack caused only minimal damage.
Western governments, including those that supported Israel in its defence, have warned against an escalation, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his war cabinet late on Monday to discuss next steps, Israeli media reported.
Iran has previously said it would consider the matter “concluded” unless Israel retaliated, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Chinese counterpart in a call yesterday that Iran was “willing to exercise restraint” and had no intention of further escalating tensions. –