Israel and the United States warned Iran against further strikes at an emergency UN Security Council session on Monday.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself and protect its citizens. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said there would be “severe consequences” should Tehran target Jerusalem.
Danon and Thomas-Greenfield’s comments followed the Israeli Air Force striking 20 military targets in three waves across Iran last Saturday.
Precision strikes in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Shiraz included long-range air-defence systems, manufacturing and storage sites for ballistic missiles.
The targeted airstrikes were a response to drone attacks last April and earlier this month.
The operation, coordinated with the US, ensured Israel did not target nuclear or energy facilities.
“As we have stated time and time again, we have the right and duty to defend ourselves and will use all the means at our disposal to protect the citizens of Israel,” Danon noted.
Danon called on the UN to recognise the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and impose sanctions against Iran’s “military and economic infrastructure”.
He also urged the UN to “take every step” to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state.
“We will not hesitate to act in self-defense,” added Thomas-Greenfield. “Let there be no confusion. The United States does not want to see further escalation. We believe this should be the end of the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.”
Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saied said US support of Israel encouraged its aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel described its latest operation a success. Reports suggest it could take Iran up to three years to reestablish further ballistic missiles.
IDF Chief of Staff Halevi said: “The operation used only some of our capabilities. We can do much more. We hit strategic systems in Iran, this has great importance. We will now see how matters develop. We are ready for all scenarios.”
IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari added: “The retaliatory strike has been completed, its objectives have been achieved… (Targets) included missile manufacturing facilities used by Iran in its attacks on the State of Israel over the past year. Simultaneously, we targeted Iran’s surface-to-air missile arrays and Iranian aerial capabilities that were intended to restrict Israel’s aerial freedom of operation in Iran. Israel now has broader aerial freedom of operation in Iran”.
According to reports, US President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should not to target nuclear or energy sectors.
Despite the success of the operation, Netanyahu’s government was criticised by some politicians for not targeting Iran’s nuclear programme.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid stated: “Israel’s enemies know this morning that the IDF is strong, can attack powerfully, and reach anywhere. The decision not to attack strategic and economic targets in Iran was mistaken. We could have and should have exacted a much higher price from Iran.”
Tehran said it has a duty to defend itself and limited damage was caused. Iranian news sources reported two soldiers were killed.
Israel remains on high alert although there has been no changes to Home Front Command guidelines.
The Biden administration confirmed it was notified about the strikes. A US official reportedly said if Iran retaliates, the US would be ready to defend Israel against attacks.
US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett called on Iran to cease attacks on Israel to avoid further escalation.
“Their response was an exercise in self-defense and specifically avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets, contrary to Iran’s attack against Israel that targeted Israel’s most populous city,” he said.
Israeli leaders, meantime, continue to meet US political leaders to enhance diplomatic relations.
President Isaac Herzog met with Secretary of State, Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv.
“We are ready and operating on various fronts, serving a great cause for the free world,” he noted.
Regarding Gaza, Herzog welcomed Blinken meeting families of hostages still held in Gaza more than a year after being abducted by Hamas terrorists.
“It is the highest plight in this crisis, in this war,” he said. “We know there is a unique opportunity following the killing of Sinwar and other circumstances that have evolved to make a special effort to employ all tools necessary and possible to move forward and bring the hostages back home.”
As for the northern front, Herzog overviewed a different situation.
“We’ve been constantly attacked for a year, and in the last few weeks, constantly attacked from Lebanon,” he observed. “We have to take all the steps possible to eradicate the capabilities of Hezbollah, to move forward in preventing the onslaught against the citizens of Israel, and the cities and towns, their attacks with drones, missiles, rockets, and their attack on the private home of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s all part of a major campaign which, at the end of it all is led and commanded in Tehran. A major answer has to be made towards Tehran.”
Blinken said: “The death of Sinwar creates an important opportunity to bring the hostages home, to bring the war to an end, and to ensure Israel’s security,” he said.
Blinken said discussions included arrangements at the end of the conflict. He noted: “As President Herzog said, we have to make sure that this is a moment of opportunity to move forward.”
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant updated Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the IDF’s precision strikes on military targets in Iran.
In related news, Netanyahu recently addressed the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations delegation.
Netanyahu told delegates that Israel was the only force in the world fighting Iran.
He said: “It’s not only our fight, it’s the free world’s fight. There are a few dictatorships around the world, they’re all bad. But this (Iranian) dictatorship is different because it wants to throw us all back into a dark age. They want to destroy us and others. Us first, because we stand in their way of conquering the Middle East, but they want to subjugate the world and bring it back to dark ages.
“When you come in solidarity here, it’s not only solidarity with the Jewish people and the Jewish state, it’s with civilisation.”