Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, issued a stark warning to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stating that Tehran is prepared for a "decisive and regretful" retaliation if Israel launches an attack on Iran in response to the Islamic Republic’s recent missile strike, AFP reported on Wednesday.
On October 1, Iran launched around 200 missiles at Israel, citing it as retaliation for the eliminations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian general, all close allies of the Islamic Republic.
"Iran, while making all-out efforts to protect the peace and security of the region, is fully prepared for a decisive and regretful response to any adventures" by Israel, Araqchi told Guterres in a phone conversation, according to a statement from his office on Wednesday.
During their conversation on Tuesday evening, Araqchi urged the United Nations to leverage its influence "to stop the crimes and aggressions of the Israeli regime and to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Gaza."
Israel is widely expected to retaliate for the Iranian ballistic missile attack, its second such attack on Israel in the last six months.
The Washington Post reported this week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed the Biden administration that he is prepared to carry out a military strike targeting Iranian military facilities, rather than its oil or nuclear infrastructure. This approach suggests a more restrained counterstrike aimed at preventing a broader war.
Axios reported following a call last week between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden that the two had inched closer to an agreement regarding Israel's planned retaliation against Iran.
Biden has stated or hinted at his opposition to Israel striking Iran's nuclear facilities or fields. The day after Iran's attack, Biden stated, “The answer is no," in response to a reporter's question about whether he would support an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites. He added that while Israel has the right to respond to the attack, it should do so “proportionally” without elaborating on what that means.
At another press briefing, the President said, "If I were in their shoes, I'd be thinking about other alternatives than striking oilfields."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Sukkot in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)