Iran’s President has promised to destroy Israel if it attempts even the smallest invasion of his country.
Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel at a military parade on Wednesday of a “massive” and “harsh” response as the country prepares for possible Israeli retaliation following the Iranian missile and drone attacks over the weekend.
Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones on Israel on Saturday, in response to an apparent attack on Iran’s embassy complex in Syria on 1 April that killed 12 people including two Iranian generals. Iran accuses Israel of the attack, but Israel has denied any involvement.
Raisi stated that Saturday’s attack had been limited, and if Iran were provoked into a larger attack, “nothing from the Zionist régime” would remain, according to the official IRNA News Agency.
Raisi made his remarks during a military display that had been relocated from its normal location on a highway at the southern edge of Tehran to a barracks located north of the capital. The Iranian authorities did not give any explanations for the move.
This year, unlike previous years, the state television did not broadcast the event live.
Israel intercepted all Iranian drones and missiles on Saturday with the help of the United States, United Kingdom, and Jordan. Israel boasted a 99% rate of success, using its Iron Dome system and David’s Sling.
Israel has promised to respond but without giving any additional details as to how or when.
The Jewish military council held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss future actions, while its allies urged both sides to avoid escalation.
Israel and Iran waged a war of shadows for decades. The war has reached a boiling point in the last few months, as Iran supported Hamas which committed the deadliest terrorist attack on Israel’s soil ever, Oct. 7.
The attack was the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel.
