Israel's top general says Iran WILL see 'a response' despite Western calls for ... trends now
Israel has vowed that it will respond to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack over the weekend despite Western calls for calm, as the Middle East teeters on the edge of all-out war.
Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said that Israel is still considering what steps it will take, but was unequivocal as he declared that the Iranian bombardment of his country on April 13 'will be met with a response'.
Leaks from Israel's war cabinet have reportedly suggested that a 'painful' revenge strike on Iran is being planned that will not cause mass casualties, though hardliners have demanded that Netanyahu shows that it is willing to 'go berserk'.
As Benjamin Netanyahu continues to debate what retaliation it will unleash, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to use a phone call with the Israeli premier today to urge him to show 'restraint'.
But leading voices in defence, including respected former minister Ben Wallace, have urged Western leaders to support Israel in its response to 'bullies' like Iran - and to even stand up to the regime themselves if necessary.
Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, speaks during a meeting with pilots at the Nevatim Air Force base in southern Israel
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak making a statement on Iran's missile attack on Israel, in the House of Commons, in London, on April 15, 2024
An Iranian missile launch is seen in this footage, claimed to be the first missile launched towards Israel in Tehran's attack over the weekend
'Everybody agrees that Israel must respond,' an Israeli official told the Washington Post. 'How to respond, when to respond, is the question.'
It comes as the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief expressed concerns on Monday about Israel potentially targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, as he announced inspections paused on Sunday and Monday would resume nonetheless.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran closed its nuclear facilities temporarily over 'security considerations' and that while they reopened on Monday, he kept IAEA inspectors away 'until we see that the situation is completely calm.'
When asked about the possibility of an Israel strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi said: 'We are always concerned about this possibility.' He urged 'extreme restraint.'
As Benjamin Netanyahu walks a 'tightrope' between escalation and deterrence, former defence secretary Ben Wallace did not mince his words of warning.
'The only way to deal with a bully is to retaliate,' he said. 'The only option when Iran and Russia hit, I have concluded, is to hit back twice as hard and not stop until they get the message.'
The Iranian attack on Saturday marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi expressed concerns on Monday about Israel potentially targeting Iranian nuclear facilities
The attack happened less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.
The Israeli military says that 99 per cent of the around 350 drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted, with the help of other countries including the United States, the UK and France.
Despite the unprecedented scale of the attack, experts have said it exposed Iran's 'lacklustre' arsenal, signalling how its outdated aircraft and defences would be no match for Israel's in the event of full-scale war.
'I think the attack, which was designed to be
