2024-04-18 02:22:56
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that his country swill be the only one to decide whether to respond to the massive air attack carried out by Iran earlier this week, and how he will do it, rejecting calls from his allies to exercise restraint.
Israel has promised to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without specifying when or how, leaving the region preparing for an escalation of the conflict after months of turmoil related to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Since the attack, Israel’s allies have urged the country to stop any response that could provoke an escalation. These calls were repeated on Wednesday during visits by the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom and Germany.
The diplomatic pressure came as Iran’s president warned that even the “smallest” invasion of their territory would provoke a “huge and severe” response. Meanwhile, violence escalated on Wednesday between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group, which fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel. At least 14 Israeli soldiers were wounded in the attack, six of them seriously, its army said. Israeli military forces said they attacked Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon in response.
At a meeting with his cabinet on Wednesday, Netanyahu said he met with both European ministers and thanked them for their countries’ support. But he pointed out that Israel will decide for himself how to responddespite “all kinds of suggestions and advice” from Israel’s allies, some of whom, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France, helped it repel the Iranian attack.
“I want to be clear: we will make our decisions for ourselves. “The State of Israel will do whatever is necessary to defend itself,” Netanyahu said.
Despite the harsh rhetoric, it seems unlikely that Israel will directly attack Iran without the support of at least its main ally, the United States. But you could resort to quieter methods, such as attacking high-ranking Iranian commanders or Iranian-backed groups in other countriesor launch a cyber attack.
It is unclear how Iran would respond, given the rising tensions. Any incorrect calculation by either side risks sparking a regional war.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s administration announced new sanctions against Iran and has worked to coordinate a global condemnation of the attack. while urging the parties to de-escalate the conflict. US officials reported earlier this week that Biden told Netanyahu that Washington would not participate in any offensive against Iran.
Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in response to a suspected Israeli attack against the Iranian embassy compound in Syria on April 1, killing 12 people, including two Iranian generals.
Israel claimed that it and its allies They successfully intercepted almost all missiles and drones. A 7-year-old girl was injured in the attack, which did not cause any deaths or significant damage.
Israel and Iran have waged a proxy war for decades, but the weekend attack was Iran’s first direct military offensive against Israel.
With tensions rising, Israel’s allies have insisted on a message of restraint. British Chancellor David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock They called for calm in separate visits to the region.
Cameron said that “it is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act” against Iran, but I hope they do so “in a smart and tough way, and that also does the least possible to escalate the conflict.” Cameron spoke after meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose position is largely symbolic.
Baerbock said Germany remains “in total solidarity with Israel,” but called for restraint.
“Everyone must now act prudently and responsibly. I’m not talking about giving up. “I am talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength,” the Foreign Minister told the press. “Because Israel has already shown strength with its defensive victory at the weekend.”
The ministers said they will push for more international sanctions on Iran.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel not to retaliate. He delivered his message during an annual army parade, which was not held on its usual route and was not broadcast live on state television, possibly out of fear that he could be the target of an attack.
In remarks reported by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Raisi said the weekend attack had been limited, and that if Iran had wanted to carry out a larger attack, “there would be nothing left of the Zionist regime.”
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Associated Press journalists Nasser Karimi, in Tehran; Jill Lawless in London and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
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