Isolated Iran warns of further strikes if Netanyahu retaliates
IRAN yesterday said it had ‘concluded’ its operation against Israel – as long as there is no retaliation.
Despite its 320 missiles and drones causing only minimal damage and no casualties, Iran said it had ‘achieved all its objectives’.
The attack was in retribution for Israel destroying an Iranian consulate in Syria, killing two generals.
Iran warned last night that it will launch a ‘considerably more severe’ attack if Israel premier Benjamin Netanyahu chooses to strike back.
But it finds itself with few allies as the biggest players in the region – including Saudi Arabia and Jordan – are aligned on the Israeli side.
Israel has received widespread support from the international community, in contrast to the criticism of its military opera
‘A decisive and much stronger response’
tions in Gaza, which have reportedly killed more than 33,000 Palestinians.
Two weeks ago, its forces killed seven soldiers, including two generals, of Iran’s Quds Force stationed in a building in Damascus. Iran said the building was its consulate in the Syrian capital, which means the attack was on Iranian soil.
But Israel has disputed this claim, saying the building was a military outpost rather than an embassy.
In the days after the strike, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel will be ‘slapped for that action’, while his regime repeatedly promised a ‘punishment’. Iran’s mission to the United Nations posted yesterday on X: ‘The matter can be deemed concluded.’
Iranian army chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri added the attack had ‘achieved all its objectives’ and there was ‘no intention to continue this operation’.
He said Iran’s retaliation targeted an ‘intelligence centre’ and the air base from which Israeli F-35 jets took off to strike the Damascus consulate on April 1.
‘Both these centres were significantly destroyed,’ he said, although Israel maintained that the attack resulted in only very minor damage.
Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi yesterday warned Israel and its allies against any retaliatory action, saying: ‘If the Zionist regime or its supporters demonstrate reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response.’ And the country’s mission to the UN posted on social media: ‘Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.’
After numerous countries condemned the Iranian attack, Tehran’s foreign ministry summoned the French, British and German ambassadors ‘following the irresponsible positions of certain officials of these countries regarding Iran’s response’, a statement said.
But Iran finds itself up against a growing alliance, including several fellow Islamic countries in the Middle East.
As a Shia nation in a largely Sunni Muslim region, Iran has no allies other than those countries in which it has planted proxy forces – Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. The other main players in the region have been fostering closer ties to Israel following the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Jordan’s military even helped shoot down the drones and missiles that had to fly over its air space on their way to Israel.
Saudi Arabia, a long-time foe of Iran, is believed to be one of the countries that shared intelligence of the Iranian attack with Israel.