Tensions have been mounting throughout the Middle East following warnings from US officials that Iran could carry out an imminent attack on US or Israeli assets in the region. Iran has blamed Israel for a recent deadly attack on its consulate in Syria.
“We are in the midst of the war in Gaza, which is continuing at full force, even as we are continuing our relentless efforts to return our hostages. However, we are also prepared for scenarios involving challenges in other sectors,” Netanyahu said, according to a readout from his office.
Speaking to Israeli air force personnel at the Tel Nof Air Base, south of Tel Aviv, the prime minister stated Israel had developed a strategy in the face of potential attacks.
“We have determined a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu explained.
On Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned the Israeli regime “must be punished and will be punished” for its fatal raid on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
The Leader pointed to the Israeli missile attack on the consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Syria on April 1.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated, “The evil Zionist regime committed another mistake … and that was the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. The consulate and diplomatic missions in any country are considered to be the territory of that country. When they attack our consulate, it means they have attacked our soil.”
“The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and will be punished,” the Leader stressed.
The Israeli attack killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi were among the seven martyrs of the terrorist attack.
