Iran’s missile strike ‘will be met with a response’, says Israeli military chief

ISRAEL’S military chief has said his country will respond to Iran’s missile strike over the weekend.

Lt Gen Herzi Halevi added that Israel is still considering its steps.

But he said the Iranian strike of missiles and attack drones “will be met with a response”.

Lt Gen Halevi spoke during a visit to the Nevatim airbase, which Israel says suffered light damage in the Iranian attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting with top officials to discuss a possible response. World leaders have been urging Israel not to retaliate after Iran launched an attack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

The Iranian attack on Saturday marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The attack happened less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.

The Israeli military says that 99% of the drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted, with the help of other countries including the United States, the UK and France.

Despite the reported interceptions, Iran has called the attack a success.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he will urge Mr Netanyahu to show restraint in Israel’s response amid concerns the Middle East crisis could spiral out of control.

The RAF joined allies in defending Israel, with British jets shooting down a number of Iranian attack drones.

Mr Netanyahu is considering how to respond to Tehran, with the US and UK urging calm.

In a Commons statement, Mr Sunak said he would be speaking “shortly” to Mr Netanyahu “to express our solidarity with Israel in the face of this attack and to discuss how we can prevent further escalation”.

“All sides must show restraint,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr Sunak also told the Commons: “With this attack Iran has once again shown its true colours. They are intent on sowing chaos in their own back yard, on further destabilising the Middle East. Our aim is to support stability and security because it is right for the region and because although the Middle East is thousands of miles away, it has a direct effect on our security and prosperity at home.

“So, we’re working urgently with our allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further bloodshed. We want to see calmer heads prevail and we’re directing all our diplomatic efforts to that end.”

The Prime Minister indicated that a diplomatic response from the UK and allies in the G7 group of leading democracies would be decided “in the coming days”.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron earlier urged Israel to be “smart as well as tough” by not escalating the conflict with Iran.

Israel should recognise Tehran’s attack at the weekend as an “almost total failure” and “think with head as well as heart” in its response, the Foreign Secretary said during a round of broadcast interviews.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there was “no doubt” the attack “has left the world a more dangerous place” and said Iran “must be wholly condemned by all”.