Ignoring UN Urges, Israel Considers Responding to Iran's Attack

Israel ignores UN pressure not to escalate the conflict with Iran which could lead to destruction in the Middle East.

AP PHOTO/TOMER NEUBERG

Israel's air defense system, Iron Dome, was launched to intercept missiles fired from Iran, in central Israel, Sunday (14/4/2024).

JERUSALEM, TUESDAY — Israel's military is considering steps to retaliate against Iran's attacks. This ignores calls from the United Nations and the international community not to trigger an escalation of war in the Middle East.

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, stated on Monday (15/4/2024) evening local time that the Israeli military (IDF) is closely monitoring the situation. The IDF is fully prepared to face any kind of threat from Iran and its proxies.

"Iran will face the consequences of its actions. We will choose an appropriate response," said Halevi in a video broadcasted on the IDF's Youtube account.

AP PHOTO/ MAYA ALLERUZZO, POOL

Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi. Photo taken on Monday (16/1/2023) in Jerusalem.

The statement was made by Halevi when he visited the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which suffered minor damage from Iran's attack. On April 14th, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles into Israel's territory.

Also read: Iran's attack on Israel, the peak of the feud between the Middle Eastern superpowers

The attack by Iran is a retaliation against Israel's air strike on the Iranian Embassy Complex in Syria on April 1. The F-35 attack by Israel killed two Iranian generals, one of them being Mohammad Reza Zahedi who was the head of the Quds Brigade of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for the Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon operational area.

"We do not want to wage war, but we will cut off the hands of anyone who attacks our country. The slightest aggression from Israel and its supporters will be responded to with greater force," said an Iranian Army spokesman, as quoted by Al Jazeera i>.

AFP/ATTA KENARE

Demonstrators wave Iranian flags and Palestinian flags while gathering in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Monday (14/4/2024).

Last week, American President Joe Biden asserted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not participate if Israel launches a retaliatory attack on Iran. Nevertheless, the US will assist in defending Israel if the country is attacked.

Also read: The Middle East and the World Cannot Afford One More War

In an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on April 14th, the UN Secretary General António Guterres asked all parties involved to prevent further escalation. He stated that the escalation of the Israeli and Iranian conflict would lead the Middle East to destruction.

"It is now time to step back from the brink. It is crucial to avoid any actions that could trigger large-scale military confrontation on various fronts in the Middle East. Civilians have already suffered and always become the most affected," said Guterres.

AP/IRANIAN ARMY

In a photo released by the Iranian Army on Tuesday (12/10/2021), a missile was shown being fired during military exercises at a undisclosed location.

Nuclear

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran's nuclear nuclear facilities have been reopened since Monday. Previously, Iran temporarily closed its nuclear facilities for security reasons after they launched an attack on Israel.

"I have decided not to allow the inspectors to return (to Iran's nuclear facilities) until the situation is fully safe," said Head of IAEA Rafael Grossi to journalists during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

Also read: The Story of Iran's Cyber ​​War, Revealing Tehran's Strategy to Counter Israeli-US Attacks

Israel has carried out several operations against nuclear facilities in the Middle East. In 1981, Israel bombed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq. In 2018, Israel admitted to conducting a secret air strike on a nuclear reactor in Syria, which happened 11 years earlier.

Tehran also accused Israel of killing two Iranian nuclear physicists in 2010 and kidnapping one person the previous year. Tehran also accused Israel and the US of conducting cyber sabotage with the Stuxnet virus that disrupted the operation of the Natanz nuclear installation. (AP/AFP)