Israel’s ambassador to the United States said Wednesday that Israel must respond to Iranian attacks on the country, ignoring warnings from U.S. leaders and other allies who fear a regional war between the two countries.
Iran fired more than 300 rounds of ammunition at Israel on Saturday night in response to an Israeli attack that killed an Iranian military leader earlier this month. Almost all of the munitions were intercepted by American, Jordanian, and Israeli defense forces before reaching their targets, and the country sustained minimal damage and no fatalities from the air strikes.
“We can’t just let this pass. We can’t let it go unanswered,” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said in a Fox News interview with Bret Baier on Wednesday. “Because if you don’t answer, the Iranians will feel unpunished and feel that they can attack the Middle East and other places with no consequences.”
“We have to respond and we will respond. How exactly we will do that remains to be seen. I don’t want to talk about the details,” he continued.
Herzog stepped up his calls for retaliation and called on allies to pass tougher sanctions against Iran.
“In our region, defense alone is not enough to create deterrence. We need to push back,” he said. “And the main message, and the main lesson from what happened when Iran attacked us the other day, is that we all have to strengthen our deterrence against Iran.”
“If we do not strike back against Iran, ballistic missiles may be equipped with nuclear warheads within a few years,” he added.
Israel’s allies, including the Biden administration and the British and German governments, have warned the country not to respond to Iranian attacks, fearing a regional war in the Middle East. The Iranian government has promised a major conflict if Israel retaliates.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed those concerns early Wednesday.
“Let me be clear: We make our own decisions. The State of Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself.”
In an interview early Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary and former Prime Minister David Cameron expressed support for Israel but called for calm.
“The situation is extremely worrying. It is right to show solidarity with Israel. According to the Foreign Office, it is right to make our views clear on what should happen next,” Prime Minister Cameron said. said during a visit to Israel.
“But it is clear that the Israelis have decided to take action. We hope that they do so in a way that de-escalates this situation as much as possible,” he added.
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