Iran warns of retaliation if attacked by Israel, threatens to hit energy sites
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati during their meeting in Beirut, on Oct. 4, 2024. (AP)
Iran’s foreign minister issued a stern warning to Israel, stating that any military action against Iran will result in harsh retaliation. This comes after tensions escalated between the two countries following recent missile attacks.
“If the Israeli entity takes any step or measure against us, our retaliation will be stronger than the previous one,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday, referencing the 180-missile attack Iran launched on Israel earlier this week.
Araghchi made these comments after a meeting with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut.
Response to Israeli strikes
The minister described Iran’s missile strike as an act of “legitimate self-defense,” following Israeli attacks on Iranian positions and the Iranian consulate in Syria in April. He emphasized that Iran supports efforts toward a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah but only under specific conditions.
“A cease-fire will only happen when it coincides with a cease-fire in Gaza and is accepted by the Lebanese resistance,” Araghchi stated, reaffirming Iran’s support for Hezbollah and the people of Lebanon.
Threat to Israeli energy installations
In a related statement, Ali Fadavi, deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned that Iran would target Israeli energy and gas facilities if Israel initiated an attack on Iranian soil.
“If the occupiers make such a mistake, we will target all their energy sources, installations, and all refineries and gas fields,” Fadavi said, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency SNN.
This warning follows remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that Iran’s missile barrage “made a big mistake” and promised that Israel would make them “pay for it.”
Context of escalating conflict
Iran’s IRGC confirmed that it launched missiles at Israel on Tuesday in response to what it called “deadly Israeli attacks” in Gaza, Lebanon, and the assassinations of top IRGC, Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
