'Next response will be at maximum level': Iran warns Israel
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian issued a stern warning to Israel on Friday. He stated that any interference with Iran's interests would trigger an immediate and severe reaction. "If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level," Amirabdollahian told NBC News. He clarified that Iran would not retaliate unless provoked by a significant Israeli attack.
Why does this story matter?
The warning by Iran follows alleged Israeli aggression on Iranian soil on Friday. Iranian officials claim the assault targeted a military airfield near Isfahan. The violence between Israel and Iran escalated on April 1, when Israel allegedly bombed an Iranian consular building in Damascus, killing two generals and five officers in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. On April 13, Iran reportedly launched drone and missile assaults against Israel in retaliation.
Iran downplays recent explosions as work of 'infiltrators'
Regarding Friday's attack, Amirabdollahian declined to confirm Israeli involvement, dismissing the weaponry used as mere "toys." "They were more like toys that our children play with - not drones," he stated. Despite escalating tensions, Iranian media and officials have downplayed a series of explosions in Isfahan as the work of "infiltrators" rather than an Israeli attack. This suggests that Iran has no immediate plans for retaliation.
Israel had threatened to retaliate
Israel had threatened to retaliate after Iran launched its first attack on Israel on April 13. There were no reports of casualties during the attack as Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones. As of Friday, there was no word from Israel on whether any more action would be taken. Israel's allies, including the United States, had lobbied all week to ensure that any future retribution was calibrated to avoid further escalation.
