Any nation that helps Israel attack Iran will face serious consequences, the Islamic Republic’s defense minister, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, warned early Sunday. His statement came as Tehran launched a massive airstrike against the Jewish state, in what it called retaliation for an Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria.
“Any country that opens its airspace or soil to Israel to attack Iran will receive our decisive response,” Ashtiani said.
Iran’s mission to the UN also demanded that the US “stay away” from the conflict between Tehran and West Jerusalem. This is a bilateral issue, the mission said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night. The Islamic Republic has the right to respond under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which grants every nation the right to self-defense, the statement said, pointing to Israeli “aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus.”
Earlier, Tehran confirmed that it had launched multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Israel and announced an imminent missile strike. The Israeli military tracked more than 100 drones heading towards the country, local media reported, adding that the UAVs are expected to reach Israel “within hours” and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will work to intercept them mid-air.
The development prompted several Middle Eastern nations, including Jordan and Lebanon, to close their airspace. Amman also declared a state of emergency.
The targets of the attack remain unclear. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) called the attack retaliation against Israel’s “numerous crimes,” including an early April strike targeting an Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
The attack killed seven officers of the IRGC’s Quds Force, including two generals, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be a response. The US warned Israel on Friday that Tehran could launch a massive strike against it over the weekend.