Israel threatens to strike Iran

Israel’s foreign minister threatened on Wednesday that its country’s forces would strike Iran directly if the Islamic Republic launched an attack from its territory against Israel, as tensions between the two countries flare after the killings of Iranian generals in a blast at the Iranian consulate in Syria, reports the Associated Press (AP).

“If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran,” Israel Katz said in a post on X in both Farsi and Hebrew.

The remarks came after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated early on Wednesday a promise to retaliate against Israel over the attack on its consulate in Damascus earlier this month.

Tehran holds Israel responsible for the strike that killed 12 people. Israel has not acknowledged its involvement, though it has been bracing for an Iranian response to the attack, a significant escalation in their long-running shadow war.

Khamenei spoke at a prayer ceremony celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying the airstrike was “wrongdoing” and akin to an attack on Iranian territory.