The Israeli military has vowed to retaliate for a missile attack from Iran, which the latter called a “rational and legitimate response” to earlier Israeli fire and bombing in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take retaliatory action against Iran after its missile attack on Israel Tuesday night, which he called a “big mistake.”
He added that Iran would pay for the attack, in which, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), 180 missiles hit Israel, triggering air-warning sirens across the country.
“ Anyone who attacks us. We attack them ” Mr. Netanyahu said as he gathered his security cabinet for a late-night meeting.
He called the attack a “failure” and suggested that Iran could suffer the same fate as Gaza and Lebanon.
Iran warns of retaliation
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations said the attack was “legal, rational and legitimate” as it responded to Israeli strikes against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The country’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, warns Israel that its response to any act of aggression against Tehran “will be swift, decisive and stronger than before.”
He recalls the assassination of the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyehin Tehran on July 31, the explosion of pagers in Lebanon in September and the assassination of the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallahand the Iranian general Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut.
Mr. Iravani said that the inaction of the Security Council “ allowed Israel to blatantly violate all red lines and violate fundamental principles of international law “.
He reiterated Iran’s call for the Council to “urgently and decisively intervene to end Israel’s continued aggression and war crimes against Lebanon, Gaza and Syria and to prevent that the situation does not degenerate into a large-scale regional war.”
The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on the escalating situation in the Middle East for Wednesday, at the request of France and Israel.
Leaders around the world have expressed their condemnation
The American President Joe Biden said the United States anticipated Iran’s “brazen” missile attack on Israel, in a statement to reporters at the White House.
Mr Biden added that “intensive planning” had been put in place to anticipate and defend against the attack, adding that the United States and Israel had worked together to defend Israel against the missile barrage that occurred Tuesday evening.
He reiterated his support for Israel and said the United States was in “constant contact” with its Israeli counterparts.
Mr. Biden joins others around the world in condemning Iran’s actions. The head of foreign policy of the European Union, Josep Borrellsaid that “an immediate ceasefire is needed across the region,” in a message published on X.
“The EU condemns in the strongest possible terms Iran’s attack on Israel. We reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel. This cycle of attacks risks fueling an uncontrollable regional escalation. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint.” he wrote.
ADVERTISEMENTThe British Prime Minister, Keir Starmeralso had harsh words for Iran, saying he condemned the attack in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbockwho urged Iran not to escalate the conflict.
The Israeli military said the missiles triggered air warning sirens across Israel, before concluding that very few citizens were injured in the attack, with the majority of the missiles intercepted by the Israeli defense system , the Iron Dome.
