Media report: Israel threatens Iran with harsher response than in April
Israel threatens Iran with a significantly tougher response in case of an attack than in April, when Tehran targeted the Jewish state with 330 rockets, cruise missiles, and drones. At that time, Israel held back in its response to the aggression at the request of the USA and other allies, said Israel's national security adviser Zachi Hanegbi in an interview with "Bild" and other Axel Springer media. "That was then, this is now. You can hold back once, not twice," he added.
After the targeted killing of Hamas' external chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran has threatened Israel with massive retaliation. The leading politician of the Islamic Palestinian organization was in Tehran as a guest of the Iranian state. The circumstances of his death in the early hours of Wednesday are not yet clear. Iran and Hamas blame Israel, but Israel has not yet commented on this.
It is feared that this incident could bring Israel and Iran to the brink of a military conflict. Such a conflict was already threatened on April 14, when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel. Most of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel with its own forces and with the help of the USA and other allies.
The background to the Iranian attack was an attack attributed to Israel on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus, in which two Iranian generals were killed at the beginning of April. Israel then responded with a counterattack on an air force base in central Iran, after which Tehran said it would not pursue the matter further.
In the "Bild" interview, security adviser Hanegbi warned Iran: "Attacking Israel is something for which they will pay a very high price. Hopefully, they won't do it. It would be a mistake. Israel is very strong." Similar statements have been made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu in recent days. However, he also believes that the region is not on the brink of war. Iran does not want a comprehensive war, said Hanegbi. Regarding the assassination of Haniyeh, he said only that the Israeli leadership has decided not to discuss this topic.
Following the interview, Israeli national security adviser Zachi Hanegbi reiterated his stance, stating, "Regarding the report by the media about Iran's threats, attacking Israel will come with a heavy price." Subsequently, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu echoed this, adding, "We've seen Iran's response in the past, and any attack on Israel should be met with a strong response, as reported by the media."
