“Israel must be punished. They will repent of their criminal acts,” says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. Several international media have mentioned the case.
This comes after Israel killed the high-ranking Iranian general Mohammad Reza Zahedi, as well as at least twelve other people, after a bomb attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria on Monday.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian believes that the attack shows how desperate Israel has become after defeats against Iran-backed militias that include Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
“Netanyahu has completely lost his mind after a series of defeats in Gaza and his inability to realize Zionist ambitions,” he says.
Hezbollah also promises revenge against Israel after the attack. The pro-Iranian militia hailed Zahedi as a “loyal friend” who has long worked to support their cause.
Pointing to the United States
It is the first time Israel and Iran are in direct confrontation since the Gaza war broke out last October. In the past, Israel has attacked several targets with links to Iran in Syria.
“We are fighting a war on several fronts,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday.
“We make it clear to anyone who threatens us – across the Middle East – that the price for the threats will be very high.”
Iran also points to the United States as guilty of the attack, based on its support for Israel. Spokespersons in Washington reject this, and emphasize that the US did not know about the attack in advance.
President Biden himself is said to have contacted Iran’s leaders and pointed this out, despite the fact that Iran and the US have not had diplomatic relations for over half a century, writes Bloomberg.
The escalating tension is a main driver behind the rise in oil prices in recent days. Several analysts expect that the rise will continue if the conflict escalates.
