Iran’s armed forces chief of staff on Tuesday said his country was prepared to repeat its attacks if Israel is not contained by the US and Europe.
Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a yearslong conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies.
“If the Zionist regime, that has gone insane, is not contained by America and Europe and intends to continue such crimes, or do anything against our sovereignty or territorial integrity, tonight’s operation will be repeated with much higher magnitude and we will hit all their infrastructures,” Gen. Mohammad Bagheri said.
“Their people were not targeted, although that was absolutely feasible.”, Bagheri added.
In a video released by Islamic Republic of Iran News Network, Revolutionary Guard commander in chief Gen. Hossein Saami was seen giving the order for Iran’s missile strikes on Israel.
Israel vowed retaliation for Iran’s barrage, which it said had caused only a few injuries.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it. The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We will stand by the rule we established: whoever attacks us – we will attack them. This is true wherever we fight the axis of evil. This is true for Judea and Samaria (West Bank) , it is true for Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria – and it is also true for Iran. We fight the axis of evil everywhere.”, he added.
In Lebanon, explosions were heard, and fire and smoke visible along the Beirut skyline Wednesday morning, in what the Israeli military claimed was a strike on “Hezbollah targets.”
Earlier, residents in some areas of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital were warned to evacuate their homes.