Tehran’s first-ever direct attack on its bitter enemy drastically escalated regional tensions as the Gaza war continued with no sign of a truce, prompting Israel and Iran to exchange threats on Tuesday.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for the Israeli military, stated that Iran will not escape “scot-free” following a weekend in which Iran and its supporters fired over 300 missiles, drones, and rockets against Israel.
“We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Hagari said, a day after Israel’s military chief vowed there would “a response” to Iran’s offensive.
Following a lethal Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Syria, Iran declared that their attack was an act of self-defense and that, absent Israeli retaliation, it would consider the situation “concluded”.
“The slightest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response,” issued a warning by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden emphasized that “the United States is committed to Israel’s security” and that his country wants to stop the crisis from getting worse.
According to a senior US official, Washington, Israel’s main ally and weaponry supplier, has made it plain that it will not support Israel in any strike on their shared enemy, Iran.
Global leaders have called for moderation and defusing the situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged all parties to “avoid a new round of confrontation fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region” during a phone conversation with Iran’s Reza Paisi, according to the Kremlin.
In the meantime, Israel has continued to strike targets in Gaza, the coastal region under Hamas administration that has seen over six months of fighting and a siege that has killed 2.4 million people.
