This handout image released by the Israeli army shows military chief Lt. Gen. Harji Halevi (L) attending a situational assessment with members of the General Staff Forum at the Kiriya military base, which houses the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv. April 14, 2024. | Image Credit: AFP
Israel’s military chief said on April 15 that his country would respond to Iran’s weekend attack, but he did not elaborate when and how world leaders urged against retaliation to avoid a spiral of violence in the Middle East.
The April 13 Iranian attack killed two Iranian generals in response to a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian consular building in the Syrian capital Damascus two weeks earlier. It marked the first time Iran had launched a direct military attack on Israel, despite decades of hostility dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at Israel in the attack. The Israeli military said 99% of the drones and missiles were intercepted by Israel’s own air defenses and fighter jets and in coordination with a US-led coalition of partners.
Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on April 15 that Israel was considering its next steps but “will face a response” to an Iranian strike.
Mr. Halevi did not give any details. Army spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel would respond “at a time we choose.”
The two spoke at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, which Mr. Hagari said had suffered little damage in the Iranian attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is huddling with top officials to discuss a possible response. For the second day in a row, the government has not announced any decisions.
In a conversation with US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Mr. Netanyahu’s Prime Minister’s Office announced that “Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself.”
Although Israeli leaders have hinted at retaliation, the government is under heavy international pressure not to further escalate the conflict – especially after the Iranian strike caused such little damage.
The US has urged Israel to show restraint in building a broader diplomatic response.
Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said it was up to Israel to decide any response, adding: “We don’t want to see an escalation, but we will take the necessary steps to protect our forces in the region.”
Pressed at the briefing on whether such a response would threaten stability in the region, Mr Ryder said the US “will remain in close consultation with our Israeli partners, as we did over the weekend. Again, we do not want a broader regional conflict.”
The US has worked in recent years to strengthen ties between Israel and moderate Arab states in an alliance to counter Iran.
Much of that cooperation is under the umbrella of US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East. CENTCOM works closely with militaries across the region, including Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
The US, Britain and Jordan – a key American ally in the region – have all said their air forces have helped intercept Iranian missiles and drones. Halevi said France and “other partners” were involved, and he noted that “Iran’s attack has created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East.”
Iranian weapons also flew over Saudi skies, according to a map released by the Israeli military. Israel says most of the interceptions took place outside Israeli airspace, suggesting at least tacit cooperation with the Saudis.
A unilateral Israeli strike could weaken these behind-the-scenes connections, especially with countries like Saudi Arabia that do not have official diplomatic relations with Israel. It also risks opening a new front with Iran at a time when Israel is embroiled in a six-month war inside Gaza against Hamas militants.
Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout the Gaza war. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two Iranian-backed militant groups, carried out a devastating cross-border attack in Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others.
Israel’s occupation of Gaza has killed 33,700 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction, according to local health officials.
Throughout the war, Israel has traded fire on its northern border with Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, while Iranian-backed militias have attacked Israel in Iraq and Yemen. The conflict has kept fears of a potentially devastating all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, or a broader direct confrontation between Israel and Iran.
World leaders put pressure on Israel not to attack Iran.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “all sides must show restraint” to avoid escalating violence in the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would “try to convince Israel that we should not react by escalation”.
In Washington, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to say Monday whether the US had been briefed on or anticipated any Israeli response plans. “We will let the Israelis speak,” he said.
“We are not involved in their decision-making process about the capacity response,” Mr Kirby said.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US does not want escalation but will continue to support Israel’s security. He vowed to step up diplomatic efforts against Iran.
“Strength and intelligence should be different sides of the same coin,” he said.