The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday said Iran will not get off "scot-free" for launching hundreds of missiles and drones toward Israel over the weekend.
"We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression. Iran will not get [off] scot-free with this aggression," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said of Iran’s firing of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday night. Tehran claimed it was retaliating for an Israeli airstrike earlier this month that killed two Iranian commanders in Syria.
"We will respond [to Iran’s attack] in our time, in our place, in the way that we will choose," the IDF spokesman added. The United States, France, Britain, and other allies of Israel have urged the Jewish state not to retaliate against Iran, hoping to avoid a military escalation in the Middle East.
The IDF’s remarks came after the Washington Post on Monday reported Israel is weighing a forceful response that would "send a message" to Tehran but not result in casualties or a wider regional war.
"Everybody agrees that Israel must respond. How to respond, when to respond, is the question," an Israeli official told the Post on the condition of anonymity, adding that "we don’t have to cause casualties but it’s important that we do respond, because it sends a message to all those who want to harm us."
Iranian officials have since issued warnings to Israel about retaliating against its weekend strike. Abolfazl Amouei, a spokesman for Iran’s National Security Committee, said on Monday that Iran would "confront any Israeli aggression" and "use weapons that we have not used before," urging "the Zionists to act rationally."
Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi warned that if Israel were to take even the "slightest action targeting Iranian interests," it would face "a severe, extensive and painful response" from the Islamic Republic.