ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israeli Defence Forces’ Chief of Staff on Monday said Tel Aviv will respond to Tehran’s unprecedented attack.
"This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response," said Israel's army chief General Herzi Halevi addressing the troops at a military base that was targeted by a barrage of drones and missiles launched by Iran over the weekend.
Iran launched over 300 projectiles, including drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, toward Israel in a massive aerial assault late Saturday. The attack constituted the culmination of repeated threats from Tehran to retaliate for an attack on its embassy in Damascus on April 1, which killed at least seven, including two generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"We will do whatever is necessary to protect the State of Israel, and we will do it at the opportunity and the time we will choose," said Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a separate statement.
The Israeli army said it has intercepted 99 percent of the drones and missiles launched by Iran. The United States and other allies of Tel Aviv also helped in warding off the attack.
Iranian authorities labeled the attack on Israel as a “necessary and proportionate” response to the deadly strike on the country’s embassy in Syria, Seven members of the IRGC, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the Quds Force's (IRGC-QF) head in Syria and Lebanon.
“Iran does not seek to develop tension in the region and adheres to international standards and laws,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told reporters on Monday, reiterating Tehran’s claim that the attack was in line with Iran’s inherent right to self-defense under the United Nations charter.
Kanaani said that Tehran had given all the “necessary warnings” prior to launching the attack and that the Iranian armed forces acted in a “completely professional, logical and responsible manner.”
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the Iranian attack on Israel, with delegates calling on all parties to exercise restraint in order to prevent a full-scale war in the Middle East.
“Regional – and indeed global - peace and security are being undermined by the hour. Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the session.
