ALBAWABA- Amid heightened alertness in Israel and the United States, and escalating threats from Iran since the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has broken his silence.
During a visit to an airbase and a meeting with Squadron 133 soldiers, Netanyahu admitted today, Wednesday, that Israel is facing challenging times.
He elaborated that the nation is currently engaged in a full-scale war in Gaza, which shows no signs of abating. Concurrently, his government continues efforts to negotiate the repatriation of prisoners, referring to the ongoing talks in Cairo aimed at securing a ceasefire in the besieged region.
Furthermore, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is preparing for potential challenges from other fronts, alluding to the escalating tensions with Iran and the sustained threats following the targeting of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of officers and generals.
He declared, "We have a simple principle: whoever harms us, we will retaliate." Netanyahu underscored that Israel is ready to address its security needs both defensively and offensively.
These developments come as Tel Aviv braces for imminent Iranian retaliation in response to the consulate attack earlier this month.
Against the backdrop of Western expectations and intelligence assessments indicating a looming Iranian response, particularly following the conclusion of the Eid holiday, observers speculate that Tehran may directly target military or government sites within Israeli territory using missiles or suicide drones, rather than employing proxies.
Tensions between the two countries have reached an unprecedented level since the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on April 1st the killing of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guard in Syria and Lebanon, and his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Rahimi, along with five accompanying officers in the consulate attack.
