Israel: "Attack on Iran Will Be Deadly"

Israel Vows Retaliatory Attacks Against Iran

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Israel mentioned strong retaliation against Iran, which carried out missile attacks. This reveals a difference in perspective with the United States, which hopes that the Middle East situation will not become more unstable.

Yoav Gallant, Israel's Defense Minister, said on the afternoon of the 10th (local time) during a visit to Unit 9900 under the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, "Iran's airstrike was aggressive but inaccurate," adding, "Anyone who attacks us will be wounded and pay the price." He continued, "Our attack will be lethal, precise, and above all, surprising," emphasizing, "Iran will see the results but will not understand what happened or how it happened." Regarding the plan to attack Iran, Minister Gallant added, "All command chains are focusing on this issue in a coordinated manner."

Gallant's remarks came shortly after a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to AP News and others, the two leaders appeared to exchange views on Israel's expansion of ground operations against the Lebanon-based pro-Iran militant group Hezbollah, and Israel's future retaliatory attacks following Iran's recent missile strikes. In particular, President Biden is believed to have emphasized the need for an early ceasefire in the Hezbollah clashes and the Hamas war, and stressed that the conflict with Iran should not escalate into a full-scale war.

Minister Gallant also postponed his visit to the U.S. Pentagon scheduled for the 9th. Previously, there had been speculation that if Gallant visited the U.S., retaliatory attacks against Iran might be delayed.

On the 1st, Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, claiming it was retaliation for the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In response, Israel is considering retaliatory strikes targeting the Iranian mainland.

Meanwhile, AP News reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu recently also spoke with former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, former President Trump called Netanyahu last week to say, "Congratulations on Israel's focused and decisive operations against Hezbollah."