The Latest
Netanyahu says Israel willdecide how to respondas Iran warns
against retaliation
Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s
major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said
Israel would decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air
assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from
close allies.
Israel has vowed to respond to
Iran’s unprecedented attack, leaving the region bracing for further escalation
after months of fighting in Gaza.
Israel’s allies have been urging Israel to hold back on any response to the
attack that could spiral.
The diplomatic pressure came as Iran’s
president warned that even the “tiniest” invasion of its territory would bring
a “massive and harsh” response.
Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds
of missiles and drones at Israel after an apparent Israeli strike killed two Iranian
generals. Israel and Iran have waged a long shadow war, but the
strike was Iran's first direct military attack on Israel. Israel says it and
its partners intercepted nearly all the missiles and drones.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel against
any retaliation as he addressed an annual
army parade, which was moved from its usual route and not broadcast
live on state TV — possibly to avoid being targeted. In remarks carried by
Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Raisi said the weekend attack was limited,
and that if Iran had wanted to carry out a bigger attack, “nothing would remain
from the Zionist regime.”
Regional tensions have increased since
the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on
Oct. 7, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran,
carried out a cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and
kidnapped 250 others. Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has
caused widespread devastation and killed more than 33,800 people, according to local
health officials.
Comments
Post a Comment