Israel’s top military leader, Herzi Halevi, has made a bold declaration to retaliate against Iran following a recent attack on the country, despite calls for restraint from global leaders.
The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas group in Gaza has been ongoing for six months, with Iran’s allies in the region increasing their attacks on Israel and its supporters in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Tensions were already at a boiling point when Iran launched a historic assault on Israeli territory, unleashing a barrage of missiles and drones in response to a previous strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1. The Israeli army, with assistance from the United States and other allies, managed to intercept the majority of the weapons, resulting in minimal damage.
While Western governments, including staunch supporters of Israel, have cautioned against further escalation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with his war cabinet to strategize the next steps in response to the attack.
Iran, on the other hand, has indicated that they view the matter as resolved unless Israel chooses to retaliate. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian assured his Chinese counterpart that Iran is prepared to show restraint and has no intentions of escalating the conflict any further.
As tensions continue to simmer between these two nations, the world watches with bated breath to see how this volatile situation will unfold.