April 15 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Israel has issued a stark warning, saying that the conflict with Iran is “not over yet.” It has also vowed to “exact a price” after 330 drones and missiles were fired overnight by Tehran. According to the Israeli military, over 99 per cent of the drones and missiles had been intercepted with help of the US, UK and France.
“We will build a regional coalition against the threat of Iran, and we will exact a price from it in the way and at the time that suits us,” Israel minister Benny Gantz said, according to The Independent. Tehran had earlier said the matter can be considered “concluded.”
The US military has confirmed that it destroyed as many as 80 attack drones, and at least six ballistic missiles that had been fired from Iran and Yemen. “CENTCOM remains postured to support Israel’s defense against these dangerous actions by Iran. We will continue to work with all our regional partners to increase regional security,” the US military said.
Meanwhile, president Joe Biden told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US refuses to take part in a counter-offensive against Iran.
Iraq, Jordan and Turkey officials have now also said that the nations had warned Israel days before Iran’s attack on the country. According to Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran had given neighbouring countries and the US a 72-hour notice before the drones and missiles were launched.
‘Iran said the reaction would be…’
Turkey’s foreign ministry insisted that it spoke with Tehran and Washington before the attack, and tried to ensure that reactions were proportionate. “Iran said the reaction would be a response to Israel’s attack on its embassy in Damascus and that it would not go beyond this. We were aware of the possibilities. The developments were not a surprise,” a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters.
A government security adviser and a security official, both Iraqi sources, said that Iran used diplomatic channels to inform Baghdad about the attack three days before it was launched. “The government clearly understood from the Iranian officials that the US military in Iraq was also aware of the attack in advance,” said the Iraqi security official.