Israeli ministers have been “clearly told” to expect a second wave of strikes on Iran, the Hebrew-language Channel 13 network has reported, noting that these strikes would be carried out in revenge for Hezbollah’s drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes on what it termed “military targets” in Iran on Saturday. The strikes, which appeared to focus on missile manufacturing facilities and air defense batteries, were conducted nearly a month after Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, hitting two air bases.
In a discussion on Sunday, Netanyahu’s cabinet ministers were reportedly told that a separate attack could be carried out, this time in response to Hezbollah’s targeting of the Israeli PM’s house with an explosives-laden drone less than two weeks ago.
”The ministers at the cabinet discussion were clearly told that the Israeli attack on Iran did not include the response to the sending of the UAV and that another response is expected,” Channel 13 reported, without revealing its sources. The network did not clarify who exactly told the ministers to expect more strikes.
Hezbollah announced last week that it took “complete and exclusive responsibility” for attacking Netanyahu’s residence in the coastal town of Caesarea the previous weekend. Tehran provides political – and, according to Israel, financial and military – support to Hezbollah, and West Jerusalem considers the Lebanese paramilitary group to be an Iranian proxy force.
Netanyahu, who was not at the property at the time of the attack, said afterwards that “Iran and its proxies” will “pay a heavy price.”
It is still unclear how Iran will respond to Saturday’s strikes. In a speech on Sunday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the impact of the Israeli attack “should neither be exaggerated nor downplayed,” and that Iran’s “response will be determined by senior officials, in a manner that best serves the interest of the people.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, however, warned that Tehran would use “all available tools” to “deliver a definite and effective response to the Zionist regime.”
The US State Department has described the Israeli airstrikes as “proportionate,” and urged Tehran not to respond.