Iran on Sunday urged Israel to not retaliate militarily for an unprecedented in a single day assault, which Tehran introduced as a justified response to a lethal assault on its consulate constructing in Damascus.
“The matter will be thought of closed,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations mentioned in a submit on social media platform X, just some hours after the beginning of the operation late on Saturday.
“Nevertheless, ought to the Israeli regime make one other mistake, Iran’s response can be considerably extra extreme,” the Iranian mission warned.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday warned Israel and its allies towards any “reckless” motion following the drone and missile assault in Tehran, which marked the primary time Iran has launched a direct army assault on Israeli territory.
“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters have interaction in reckless conduct, they may obtain a decisive and far stronger response,” Raisi mentioned in a press release.
After quite a few nations condemned the assault, Tehran’s International Ministry summoned the French, British and German ambassadors “in response to the irresponsible positions of sure officers of those nations concerning Iran’s response,” in line with a press release.
Late on Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards introduced that they’d launched “dozens of drones and missiles” in the direction of army websites on Israeli territory.
“Iran’s army motion was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression towards our diplomatic buildings in Damascus” earlier this month, the Iranian mission to the UN mentioned, calling it “reliable protection.”
The Israeli army mentioned it had shot down 99 % of drones and missiles with the assistance of the USA and different allies, saying Iran’s assault had been “thwarted.”
Iran’s military chief of workers, Mohammad Bagheri, mentioned the assault “achieved all its goals” and that there was “no intention to proceed this operation.”
Bagheri mentioned Iran’s retaliation focused an “intelligence middle” and the air base from which Tehran says Israeli F-35 jets took off to assault the Damascus consulate on April 1.
“Each facilities have been considerably destroyed,” he mentioned, though Israel claims the assault induced solely minor injury.
– Assault ‘telegraphed’ –
Consultants have prompt that Saturday’s slow-moving drone strike was calibrated to signify a present of power but additionally enable some wiggle room.
“It seems that Iran has telegraphed its assault on Israel to display that it could strike with completely different capabilities, to complicate its skill to neutralize the assault, but additionally to offer an off-ramp to pause the escalation” , mentioned Nishank Motwani, senior analyst on the Australian Strategic Coverage Institute in Washington.
“Tehran can escalate if it chooses by means of a collection of vectors,” Motwani mentioned.
Over the previous two weeks, Iranian authorities had repeatedly vowed to “punish” Israel following the deaths of seven guards, together with two Quds Power generals, within the assault that razed the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Iran has blamed Israel for the assault.
Within the days after the assault, Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned Israel “will obtain a blow due to this motion.”
Because the Iranian revolution of 1979, Israel has been the sworn enemy of the Islamic republic.
Iran has usually known as for the destruction of Israel, in help of the Palestinian trigger, one of many pillars of the Islamic revolution.
Till Saturday, nonetheless, Tehran had additionally kept away from launching a direct assault on Israel.
As an alternative, because the warfare in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out on October 7, it has been supporting members of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” towards Israel, together with Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemeni Huthi rebels.
Hours earlier than Saturday’s assaults, Iran seized an Israeli-linked container ship within the Gulf, which Washington known as “an act of piracy.”
– ‘Subsequent blow can be fiercer’ –
In the course of the evening, Tehran warned the USA and urged it to “keep away” from the battle with Israel.
If needed, Tehran “won’t hesitate to take defensive measures to guard its pursuits towards aggressive army motion,” the Iranian International Ministry mentioned.
International Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian later mentioned that Tehran had knowledgeable neighboring nations forward of the army operation, stressing that its intention was to “punish the Israeli regime”.
“We’re not attempting to assault the American folks or American bases within the area,” he mentioned, however warned that Iran may goal American army positions concerned in “defending and supporting” Israel.
“The subsequent blow can be fiercer,” warned a mural unveiled in a single day in Tehran’s Palestine Sq., the place a number of thousand gathered chanting “Dying to Israel” and “Dying to America.”
Earlier than Tehran launched its assault, Israel warned Iran that it could “undergo the implications if it chooses to escalate the scenario additional.”
Israel has not revealed what a potential response would seem like.
In keeping with specialists, an Israeli assault on Iran’s territory, probably focusing on army or nuclear websites, can’t be dominated out.
As a precaution, Iran’s Imam Khomeini Worldwide Airport and Mehrabad home airport will stay closed till 6 a.m. (02:30 GMT) on Monday, ISNA information company mentioned.
A number of worldwide airways have suspended flights over Iranian airspace.
International locations corresponding to Russia and France have requested their residents to not journey to Iran and Israel.
