An IRGC official has issued a stern warning that Israel will face immediate reciprocal attacks on its nuclear centres if it targets Iran’s nuclear facilities.
General Ahmad Haqtalab, head of the Nuclear Protection and Security Corps, stated on Thursday that any aggression from Israel would trigger a proportionate response using advanced weaponry. ‘If the Zionist regime decides to target our nuclear facilities, it will certainly encounter our firm reaction,’ he declared, specifying that this would involve striking Israeli nuclear sites with sophisticated arms.
The warning comes amidst Israeli officials hinting at possible strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, following Iran’s Operation True Promise aimed at retaliating against Tel Aviv for the alleged assassination of Iranian military advisers in Damascus.
General Haqtalab further threatened to adjust Iran’s nuclear policies if Israel continued to use threats of attacks as leverage. He noted that any such changes would be a departure from Iran’s traditionally stated peaceful nuclear doctrine, which strictly opposes the manufacture or holding of nuclear weapons.
General Haqtalab also revealed that Iran has prepared for potential Israeli actions by identifying and gathering detailed intelligence on Zionist nuclear sites. ‘We are ready to fire powerful missiles at these targets if necessary,’ he affirmed.
This assertion followed Israel’s alleged violation of international law through an assault on the Iranian embassy in Syria, which Haqtalab described as a criminal act and indicative of Israel’s desperation.
Moreover, he commented on the ongoing threats from Israel, mentioning past instances of sabotage and terrorist activities against Iran’s nuclear programme.
Despite these provocations, Haqtalab emphasised Iran’s readiness to counter any threats, supported by the advanced dispersion of its nuclear infrastructure across the vast Iranian landscape.
He echoed the sentiments of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution, asserting that the time of unreciprocated attacks has ended. ‘Should the Zionist regime launch an attack, it will face a historic retaliation orchestrated by the Islamic Republic’s armed forces,’ he concluded, hinting that such a response would be as impactful as Operation True Promise.
Meanwhile, Israel has for now retreated from its plan to strike back at Iran after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a call from US President Joe Biden, sources say.
Citing an unnamed source within the Israeli cabinet, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday that the Tel Aviv regime had already approved various response options for Iran’s massive attack, initially intended for immediate execution.
‘The response won’t be what was planned any longer, diplomatic sensitivities won out. There will be a response, but it seems it will be different from what was planned,’ the source further told Kan.
On April 1, the Israeli regime committed an illegal attack against Iran’s diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital Damascus.
The Israeli attack resulted in the killing of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, and five of their accompanying officers.
In retaliation, the IRGC targeted the occupied territories late on Saturday and early on Sunday with a barrage of drones and missiles. The retaliatory strikes – dubbed Operation True Promise – have inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the Palestinian occupied territories.
Following Iran’s attack, Israel said it must retaliate to preserve the credibility of its deterrence. This is while Iran has already warned Israel against taking any retaliatory actions and also advised the United States to keep away from involvement in the conflict and signalled that it viewed the matter as ‘concluded’.
The Israeli outlet also quoted an unnamed Western diplomat as saying that there is still an understanding that the Tel Aviv regime would respond but the delay suggested that the response would be weaker than the one originally envisioned.
Separately, the American news website Axios cited five unnamed Israeli and US sources as saying that Israel wanted to strike back on Iran on Monday night but decided to postpone it at the eleventh hour.
In response to Iran’s operations on Saturday, the European Union has decided to impose new sanctions on Iran’s drone and missile programs under the pretext of Tehran’s recent retaliatory operation against Israel.
The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, made the announcement at an EU summit in Brussels on Wednesday, three days after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the occupied territories in response to Israel’s terrorist attack against the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic premises in Syria.
‘We have decided to put in place sanctions against Iran, it is a clear signal that we wanted to send,’ he said.
‘The idea is to target the companies that are needed for the drones, for the missiles.’
Toeing the US’s sanction line against Iran, the EU has over the past years imposed several packages of illegal bans on Iranian individuals and entities under different guises.
They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed.
Iran’s leading human rights official has also called on the United States and Western countries to cease their ‘discriminatory approach’ and double standards concerning Israel’s actions. Kazem Gharibabadi, Secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, voiced these concerns while meeting Hammouda Sabbagh, the Speaker of the Syrian People’s Assembly, in Damascus.
The discussions took place during the inaugural session of a trilateral judicial committee comprising Iran, Iraq, and Syria, which focuses on combating terrorism.
He also criticised the US and Western nations for their ongoing support of Israel, accusing them of overlooking Israel’s transgressions. ‘Instead of condemning Israel’s crimes, the US and the West continue their support for the Zionist regime,’ he stated. He condemned Israel’s recent assault on Iran’s diplomatic sites in Damascus as a ‘criminal and cowardly move’ that breached international laws and the United Nations Charter.
He pointed out that Iran’s response was in strict adherence to the United Nations Charter and constituted a legitimate defence. He also stressed the necessity for enhanced cooperation between Iran, Syria, and Iraq to address terrorism, noting the strategic and amicable relations between Iran and Syria.
He remarked on the resilience of Iran and Syria against their adversaries, stating that despite numerous challenges, ‘enemies and the arrogant front have failed to achieve their vicious objectives against the two countries’.
