Can’t persuade？ Israel vows ＂revenge＂： the United States stands with us

(Observer News) After Iran launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Israel, the Israeli military threatened to let Iran "bear the consequences". According to the Israel Times reported on April 15th, Halevy, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, promised that the Israeli army would respond to the Iranian attack. Israel’s wartime cabinet also agreed to make a "strong response" to Iran, but to avoid triggering a full-scale war.

Halevy visited the Newatim Air Force Base in southern Israel, which was damaged by an Iranian ballistic missile in the early morning of 14th. Speaking to Israeli soldiers, he said: "Iran wants to undermine Israel’s strategic capabilities, which has never happened before. We have prepared for the’ Iron Shield’ action. "

Halevy said: "Israel is strong and knows how to deal with the threat alone. However, in the face of so many and so distant threats, we are very happy that the United States stands with us … We are looking forward and considering the measures we will take. The act of launching missiles and drones into Israeli territory will be responded. "

Halevy also issued a video statement later, saying that Israel is assessing the situation, and the IDF is still in the highest level of readiness, ready to respond to any threat from Iran and its allies. Halevy claimed that Iran "will bear the consequences for its actions".

Halevy, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, delivered a speech at Newatim Air Force Base Source: Israel Defense Forces

The Times of Israel said that Israel’s wartime cabinet has agreed to make a "strong response" to Iran, but Israel intends to act in coordination with the United States to avoid triggering regional wars or undermining the "alliance" against Iran’s attacks. At present, the wartime cabinet has discussed several counter-attack plans, with the goal of "attacking Iran without triggering a full-scale war."

In an interview with Bloomberg, IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said that the military has put forward a series of feasible measures to the Israeli government. "We need to be patient and understand that the situation here is very fragile. The government is considering the advantages and disadvantages of each measure. "

On the evening of April 13, local time, Iran retaliated against Israel’s previous bombing of the Iranian embassy building in Syria and launched a large-scale attack on Israel. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on the 14th that it used its strategic intelligence capabilities, missiles and drones to attack important military targets on Israeli territory and successfully hit and destroy these targets.

Iranian state television reported that about half of Iran’s missiles fired at Israel successfully hit the target.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed that Israel and its allies intercepted "99% of missiles and drones" launched by Iran, and only a small number of ballistic missiles fell into Israeli territory. US President Biden also said in a statement that the US military helped the Israeli army "shoot down almost all incoming drones and missiles".

Although Biden’s administration reiterated the US support for Israel, US officials stressed that the US did not want the situation to escalate further. CNN said that Biden had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the evening of 13th, and he told Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in any counterattack against Iran, nor would it support such actions.

John Kirby, strategic communication coordinator of the White House National Security Council, said that the United States will support Israel’s defense, but does not want a wider conflict.

Other western countries also called on Israel not to take measures to escalate the situation. French President Macron said in an interview with French media that France will make every effort to avoid the escalation of the conflict. "We will try to persuade Israel not to respond by escalating the situation, but to isolate Iran." British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also said that the British side very much hopes to avoid the escalation of the situation, and Israel needs to consider the issue "rationally".

Bloomberg said that the leaders of the Group of Seven had a talk on the 14th and promised to work hard to prevent the "uncontrolled escalation" of the regional situation.

Washington post issued a document on 15th, saying that Israeli officials are facing a difficult problem, that is, how Israel can demonstrate its willingness to use force without triggering a crisis. For decades, the Israeli government has always taken a "tough stance" to deal with conflicts in the Middle East, which may have prevented some conflicts but also created others. Nowadays, many people, including American officials, are beginning to question whether Israel’s policy is really effective.

According to PressTV, an English-language TV station in Iran, in response to Israel’s possible counterattack, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Carney said in a TV conversation on the 15th that if Israel "makes the same mistake again", Iran would make a "harsher, faster and more direct response".

Bagheri said: "This time, the Zionists need to know that they won’t have 12 days. The response they get next time can’t be measured by days or hours, but will come in a few seconds … If there is still a little rationality inside the Israeli regime, they should know that they must never make mistakes again. "

This article is an exclusive manuscript of Observer. It cannot be reproduced without authorization.