Israel has issued a stark warning to Iran, saying that should Tehran launch further ballistic missile attacks, Israel will respond with “capabilities that we did not use this time.” Israel also indicated that the recent conflict remains active, suggesting potential future engagements.
“If Iran makes the mistake and launches another barrage of missiles at Israel, we will know how to reach Iran and hit very, very hard both the capabilities and places that we spared this time,” Times of Israel reported quoting Israel’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi.
“We did this for a very simple reason — because we may be required to do it again. We didn’t finish this event, we are right in the middle of it,” he added.
Full right to respond to aggression: Iran
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said that Israel must accept accountability for its actions and face consequences for its aggressive behavior.
“Israel cannot escape from the responsibility of its aggression and must be held accountable for it. Iran has fully reserved its legal right to respond appropriately to such a clear aggression,” he said as reported by Xinhua news agency.
’75 Rockets, 19 Operations’: Israel ‘Shakes’ As Hezbollah Goes ‘All-Out’ On Day 1 Qassem’s Reign
On Saturday, Israel launched air strikes on military targets in Iran, in retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month. The Israeli military described the strikes as a necessary response to what they termed “relentless attacks” from Iranian forces and their proxies, which have intensified since October 7. “Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilised,” the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stated, asserting their right to defend the nation.
Reports from Tehran indicated that the Israeli strikes caused powerful explosions across the city, although Iranian military officials claimed that the damage was limited. Despite this, the atmosphere remains charged, with Iranian state media warning of a strong retaliation for any further Israeli aggression. “There is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional reaction for any action it takes,” a Tasnim agency source remarked.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had also addressed the situation without explicitly calling for retaliation, advising caution against overreacting or downplaying the recent events.