CNN
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Amid growing concerns about the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian told CNN on Thursday that Iran’s response to any further military action by Israel against Iran would be “immediate and at the highest level.” ” he said.
Amir Abdullahian told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview in New York: “If the Israeli regime again becomes adventurous and acts against Iran’s interests, our next response will be immediate. And it will be done at the highest possible level.”
His comments followed last week’s unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel, which Tehran said was in retaliation for an alleged fatal Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. The region is under tension as Israel vows retaliatory strikes.
Hours after Amir Abdullahian’s remarks, an explosion was heard near the airport in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency reported early Friday, citing local sources. The cause of this explosion is unknown.
Last Saturday, Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in response to the April 1 attack on its Damascus consulate that killed at least seven officials, including Iran’s top general.
The Iranian attack on April 13 appeared designed to maximize spectacle while minimizing casualties, with Israel and its allies shooting down a huge number of projectiles.
The retaliatory attack exposed decades of shadowy war between Israel and Iran and spread fear across the Middle East.
Israel’s allies, including the United States, have called on Israel to exercise restraint to prevent attacks from escalating into a regional war, as Israel’s ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip increases tensions between the neighbors. ing.
It is unclear whether Israel will heed its allies’ calls.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel will make “its own decisions” in responding to Iranian airstrikes.
Referring to Israel’s apparent attack in Damascus, Amir Abdullahian, head of Iran’s mission to the United Nations, said Iran sincerely hopes that Israel does not repeat “the terrible mistakes of the past.”
Prime Minister Amir Abdullahian noted that this warning was conveyed to the White House through the Swiss embassy in Tehran, saying: “If the Israeli regime makes another grave mistake, our response will be decisive and decisive. It will be a shame for them.”
“We do not seek to provoke or increase tensions or crises in the Middle East, and we sincerely hope that the Israeli regime does not repeat its previous terrible mistakes.”
He added that details of a potential “maximum response” were being planned by the Iranian military.
Amir Abdullahian also said he expected any potential Israeli actions to be deterred by the United States, and that the White House would “not grant new permission for any adventurous pursuit” by Israel.
Asked whether U.S. assets could be targeted if the U.S. cooperated in defending Iran against missiles, he said, “The U.S. has made calculations based on messages exchanged between the two countries over the past six months. I believe that,” he said.
“In the last operation, we announced to the Americans that we would not target U.S. military bases or facilities in the region unless we encountered a situation where the U.S. would side with the Israeli government for escalation.” War Intent “There is,” he said.
Prime Minister Amir Abdullahian also said the purpose of Iran’s attack on Israel last weekend was “to warn,” that “comparable action has been taken,” and “to let them know that we have the means to respond.” ”.
He said the more than 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran on Saturday “remained within a minimal framework” and said the action was a “legitimate defense” against an alleged attack by Israel.
“We did not intend to attack multiple targets, so response operations were minimal,” he said.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
