Tehran, Apr 16 (EFE).- Iran warned in recent hours that it will respond in “seconds” with weapons not used so far to any retaliation for its weekend drone and missile attack on Israel.
Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday in its first direct attack on the country, during which Israel said 99 percent of the projectiles were prevented from entering its territory by its air defenses and allies.
The offensive came in response to Israel’s bombing of Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, on Apr. 1, which killed seven Revolutionary Guard members.
While Iran said afterward the weekend’s attack that it had no more strikes planned, the incident has raised global concerns of a wider regional conflict should Israel retaliate.
On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, said the attack “will be met with a response,” but no further details were given.
Overnight, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Baqeri warned Israel to “not repeat such mistake again” or “they will receive a harder, faster and more urgent blow.”
“They should know that they will no longer have a 12-day-long chance and the answer they receive will not be measured in days and hours, but in seconds,” Baqeri added on state television, according to Tasnim news agency.
For his part, the spokesman of the Iranian Parliament National Security Commission Abolfazl Amouei, said “we are ready to use a weapon that we have not used so far. We have plans for all scenarios,” according to Mehr news agency.
Baqeri and Amouei reiterated they did not want to see tension flare in the region, but are prepared in the event of harm to the country’s security.
Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Monday night, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi cited the ineffectiveness of the United Nations and its Security Council in condemning Israel, as well as the republic’s right to self-defense, warning that “the smallest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive, and painful response against all its perpetrators,” Mehr reported.
Senior spokesman for Iran’s armed forces Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi also warned the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany “to stop supporting the declining, corrupt, law-breaking, terrorist and child-killing Israeli regime.” EFE
ash-jlr/tw
