By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-17 12:16:13 | Updated at 2024-10-17 15:35:59
3 hours ago
The commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards warned Israel on Thursday against attacking the Islamic Republic in retaliation for a missile barrage as its arch-foe stepped up its offensive in Lebanon against Tehran-backed Hezbollah.
Fears of a wider Middle East conflict have grown as Israel plans its response to the October 1 missile attack carried out by Iran after Israeli air strikes on Iranian-allied militants.
“We tell you [Israel] that if you commit any aggression against any point we will painfully attack the same point of yours,” Hossein Salami said in a televised speech, adding that Iran can penetrate Israel’s defences.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday about Israel’s operations in Lebanon and Gaza, aiming to avert a regional war.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, on a Middle East tour, met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, with Sisi reiterating Egypt’s call to avoid an expansion of the conflict, the Egyptian presidency said.
The European Union held its first summit with Gulf states and issued a statement calling for calm: “We underscore the importance of diplomatic engagement with Iran – to pursue regional de-escalation,” it said.
