TEHRAN: Iran has warned Israel of a harsh response for any retaliatory actions following Saturday night’s barrage of over 350 drones and missiles.
Speaking to his German counterpart, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran’s response would be swift and comprehensive, aimed at deterring Israel from crossing red lines.
The phone call between Amir-Abdollahian and Annalena Baerbock occurred in the aftermath of the missile and drone attack launched towards Israel, with majority intercepted by Israeli defense systems and its allies.
The attack was prompted by the earlier Israel’s attack on Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, resulting in casualties among Revolutionary Guards personnel.
Amidst the fears of a wider conflict, Abbas Golrook, a member of the National Security Commission of the Parliament, said, “I doubt that Israel will strike our civilian sites, not even our military ones.” He noted, “Neither Iran, the region, nor the Americans have an inclination towards a widespread war,” aware of the global repercussions. Amidst an economic crisis, a war for Iran would also be devastating, the country witnessing the worst recession since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
Echoing the sentiments, Ahmad Alamolhoda, a prominent cleric representing Iran’s Supreme Leader, reiterated a longstanding threat issued by Ayatollah Khamenei. Alamolhoda warned of severe consequences if Israel provoked Iran, referencing Khamenei’s past pledge to retaliate forcefully against any aggression, including the flattening of cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa.
