Warning to Israel

Iran’s president threatens: attack “deliberately limited”

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi

(Bild: AFP)

At a military parade in Tehran on Wednesday, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi spoke of a "deliberately limited" attack on Israel. According to him, an Israeli reaction to the "punitive measure" would have devastating consequences. If Iran wanted to, there would be "nothing left of the Zionist regime".

If Israel were to carry out even the slightest "aggression" against Iran, the Israelis would bitterly regret it, the Iranian president said according to the Tasnim news agency. Since Iran and its allies attacked Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles at the weekend, the leadership in Tehran has repeatedly warned its arch-enemy of a military response. Meanwhile, Iran is threatened with new sanctions from the USA and the European Union.

New sanctions against Tehran
On Tuesday (local time), the government in Washington announced new measures against Tehran for the coming days. Among other things, they are aimed at Iran's missile and drone program, as White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained. The Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Ministry of Defense will also be targeted.

The EU is also working on extending the sanctions, according to its foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell. The EU heads of state and government want to discuss this, among other things, at an informal summit in Brussels on Wednesday. The aim is to hit Iranian arms exports, including the supply of drones to Russia, explained Borrell on Tuesday evening following consultations with EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Schallenberg demands clarity
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) told ORF that he expected a clear majority in the EU in favor of sanctions and that the EU must "take a clear position: On the one hand de-escalating, on the other drawing clear lines", Schallenberg said. He calls for a "clear reaction from the international community towards Iran": if a red line is crossed, this must have consequences.

He therefore also advocates an extension of the sanctions regime: "I don't see why deliveries of missiles to proxies (allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or Houthi in Yemen, note) are not covered by the sanctions regime. But our goal must be to avoid a conflagration."

Conflict reaches new level of escalation
According to Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant, the Iranian army attacked Israeli targets with around 500 missiles and drones on Saturday. This figure was confirmed by a spokesperson for Galant on Wednesday. The army had previously spoken of more than 300 missiles from Iran alone. According to the Israeli military, it successfully repelled the attack. Israel had the support of the USA, Great Britain, France and Jordan.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with President Yitzhak Herzog during her seventh visit to Israel since the terrorist attack by the militant Palestinian organization Hamas on 7 October.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who is also in Israel, spoke out in favor of a measured response by the country to the Iranian attack. The Conservative politician told reporters that it was clear that the Israelis would decide on their course of action. He added: "We hope they do it in a way that leads to as little escalation as possible." Israel must be both smart and tough, he said.