By Francesca Hangeior
World leaders called for restraint after Israel came under an unprecedented attack from Iranian drones and missiles that drew widespread condemnation and sparked fears of a broader conflict.
Iran’s overnight barrage from late Saturday was its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory and came in retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran’s consulate in the Syrian capital.
It remained unclear how Israel would respond to this major escalation in the long-running covert war between the regional foes which has been further inflamed by the Gaza war raging since October 7.
Israel’s top ally the United States cautioned against an escalation after the attack that was largely foiled, with the Israeli army saying 99 percent of the launches had been intercepted.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday: “We don’t want to see this escalate. We’re not looking for a wider war with Iran.”
However, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that “the campaign is not over yet -– we must remain alert”.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel against a “reckless” retaliation, saying it would face “a decisive and much stronger response”.
Iran said its drone and missile attack came in response to the April 1 air strike on Tehran’s consulate building in Damascus, an attack widely blamed on Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran had notified neighbouring states ahead of Saturday’s attack, stressing its aim was “to punish the Israeli regime”.