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‘Consequences if situation escalates’: Israel warns Iran as tensions rise in Middle East
Calling Iran the “biggest state sponsor of terror,” the Israel Defense Forces said they were prepared for “all scenarios” and will take “all necessary steps."
Amid rising tensions with Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday warned that “terror sponsor” Tehran would be responsible for “consequences” if there was a “further escalation” to the situation.
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“Iran funds, trains, and arms terror proxies around the Middle East and beyond. Iran-backed Hamas started this war on October 7th. Iran-backed Hezbollah expanded this war on October 8th," IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said in a video statement on X (formerly Twitter). He was referring to the Jewish state's ongoing war with the Gaza-based Hamas, which began on October 7 last year.
The IDF spokesperson also accused “Iran-backed militias” in Iraq and Syria, and “Iraq-backed Houthis” in Yemen, of turning the Gaza war into a “global conflict.”
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“Iran is the world's biggest state sponsor of terror. It's network of terror doesn't just threaten the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, the regime fuels the war in Ukraine and beyond. Iran will bear the consequences of choosing to escalate this conflict any further. Israel is on high alert…we have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond,” Rear Admiral Hagari added.
The IDF is prepared for “all scenarios” and will take “all necessary steps” in partnership with allies, he noted.
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The current tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv, stem from the April 1 airstrike on Iran's consulate adjacent to the country's embassy in Damascus, the Capital and largest city of Syria. As many as 16 people, including a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and seven IRGC officers were killed.
Iran has categorically blamed Israel for the attack and vowed retaliation, with a counter-offensive believed to be “imminent,” sparking fears of an additional conflict in the Middle East.
