Iran today called on Israel not to respond militarily to the unprecedented attack it launched overnight and presented as a justified response to the blow that destroyed its consulate in Damascus.
“The issue can be considered closed,” the Iranian mission to the UN announced in a message posted three hours after the start of the Iranian operation.
However, at the same time, he warned that, “if the Israeli regime commits another mistake, Iran’s response will be significantly more serious.”
No leader of the Islamic Republic made statements overnight to justify this first attack directly targeting Israel since the 1979 revolution in Iran.
The attack was carried out by the Revolutionary Guards, the regime’s ideological army, who launched dozens of drones and missiles in the direction of military installations on Israeli soil.
This “military action by Iran is a response to the Zionist regime’s attack on our diplomatic offices in Damascus,” the Iranian mission to the UN explained.
“It was carried out under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter on self-defence,” according to the same source.
“Punishment” of Israel
In the past two weeks, Iranian authorities have signaled their intention to “punish” Israel after the death of seven Revolutionary Guards, including two generals of the Quds Force, in the destruction of the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1 by a strike that attributed to Israel.
“There will be a slap in the face” to Israel, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned.
Since the revolution of 1979, the Islamic Republic has been the sworn enemy of Israel, whose destruction it seeks in order to create a Palestinian state in its place. However, until now Tehran has not attacked head-on, preferring to support the actions of other members of the “axis of resistance”, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, after the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7 between the Israel and the Palestinian Hamas.
A few hours before the strikes, Iran seized yesterday, Saturday, in Gulf waters a container ship with a 25-member crew, which it accused of being “connected” to Israel. “An act of piracy,” according to Washington.
The message to the US
Overnight, Tehran also warned the United States to “stand aside” in its conflict with Israel.
“Any threat emanating from the terrorist American government and the Zionist regime (…) will bring about a reciprocal and proportionate response from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Revolutionary Guards warned in the early hours of today.
“If necessary”, Tehran “will not hesitate to take defensive measures to protect its interests against any aggressive military action”, underlined the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
“The next slap will be stronger,” warns the mural unveiled overnight in Tehran’s Palestine Square, where several thousand people gathered overnight chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”
Israeli authorities have not revealed their intentions this morning. But before the attack they had not ruled out striking Iranian soil, possibly targeting military or nuclear facilities, according to experts.
For precautionary reasons, Tehran-Mehrabad Airport, which is reserved for domestic flights, will remain closed today until 12:00 (local time, 10:30 Greek time), according to the Mehr news agency, while some international airlines have decided suspend their flights or no longer fly over Iranian airspace.
Countries including Russia and France have asked their citizens to “avoid” going to Iran and Israel.
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