Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a serious warning to Iran this Tuesday, stating that Israel's reaction will be "much more powerful" if Tehran decides to attack, in a context marked by recent bombings by its ally, the United States, against the Asian country.
"I can only tell the leaders of Iran one thing: do not expect silence if you attack us. Do not expect the previous to be repeated because it will not be a repetition, even though that was already forceful enough. This will be something different, much more powerful," he declared during a speech in Dimona, in the middle of the Negev desert.
Netanyahu insisted that the country is ready to respond to any aggression and stressed that Israel is preparing for "any scenario." "The days when someone harmed us and we did not respond by hitting back twice as hard are over. We act like this against the 'axis of evil' in Iran and we will continue to do so against anyone who harms us. That is what we do," he concluded.
In parallel, the United States, Israel's strategic partner, reported in the last few hours a series of airstrikes against "military targets throughout Iran," including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas. Washington's stated objective is to "further diminish Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping," at a time when doubts are growing about the viability of negotiations to reach an agreement.
In reaction, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for attacks against the US naval base in Jufair, in Bahrain, where the naval forces of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the US Fifth Fleet are located, as well as against US positions in Jordan. These attacks are part of the third consecutive night of exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran in the Middle East, further raising regional tensions.