Israel faces ‘vast destruction’ to infrastructure if it responds

Iran’s government and military have both stated that the country is ready to take further action against Israel

AL JAZEERA | Iran’s armed forces have again warned against any retaliatory attacks by Israel or its allies.

In a statement carried by Iranian state media, Iran’s army threatened to cause “vast destruction” to Israel’s infrastructure in the event of a response.

As for Israel’s allies, Tehran said it would wage a “strong attack” against their regional bases and interests if they directly intervene.

Iran’s government and military have both stated that the country is ready to take further action against Israel, Abas Aslani from the Centre for Middle East Studies in Tehran told Al Jazeera.

He said the military has stated that there will “be a crushing response” if Israel was to respond to Iran’s attack.

He said after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Iran decided to engage Israel directly “in order to reestablish that and revive … deterrence”.

“We have been seeing from inside Iran that they have been operating short of war and mostly leveraging regional allies against Israel”, he said.

With Iran’s latest attack, it wanted to change the perception that existed in Israel that Iran and its allies would avoid a war at any cost, he said.

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has defended Iran’s attack tonight and warned Israel in a post on X., external

Pezeshkian says that, based on Iran’s "legitimate rights" with the purpose of "peace and security for Iran and the region", a "decisive" response "in defence of Iranian interests and citizens" was given to Israel.

Addressing Netanyahu, he says the Israeli PM must know that "Iran is not a war-monger but will firmly stand against any threat".

He warns Israel that tonight’s attack was just a "glimpse" of Iran’s capabilities and not to "engage in conflict" with Iran.

Harris will always ensure Israel has ability to defend itself

Vice President Harris, who is the Democratic presidential candidate, said she supports President Biden’s decision to use US military assets to help shoot down Iranian missiles.

“I will always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran,” she said, calling Iran a “destabilising force in the Middle East”.

Meanwhile, Trump, the Republican former president, has repeatedly sought to frame Democrats as stoking escalation in the Middle East by emboldening response.

His campaign said in a statement that the Biden administration has been “empowering the Iranian terrorist regime ever since they took office”.

‘Complete failure of the Biden administration in the Middle East’

In a statement on Telegram, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Biden administration had revealed its “complete helplessness in resolving crises”.

“Complete failure of the Biden administration in the Middle East” where a “bloody drama … is only gaining momentum”, said Zakharova.

Russia, which has good relations with Israel and Palestine, has tried to position itself as an alternative mediator amid the Gaza war.

Earlier this year, it hosted a conference with representatives from Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad, aimed at bridging the sometimes bitter divides between the Palestinian groups.