Israel on Tuesday called for new sanctions against Iran as part of its response to unprecedented airstrikes by the Iranian military and some of its allies against the Jewish state.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on social media that he had contacted more than 30 countries to push for sanctions against Iran’s missile program and to declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization.
The United States is one of several countries that has designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Since October, as United Nations sanctions have expired, the United States has implemented multiple rounds of sanctions against Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Despite calls from world leaders for de-escalation, Israel also appears determined to retaliate with some degree of military retaliation.
Israeli military officials said on Monday that Tehran must pay for the launch of some 350 missiles and drones on Saturday, many of which were launched from Iranian territory.
Israel’s chief of military staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said Iran’s attack “will be met with a response.”
“Iran will face the consequences of its actions,” he said at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel.
Israeli military officials did not elaborate on what such a response would look like, but IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said it would come “at a time of our choosing.”
While the United States, Israel’s most ardent supporter, has urged Israel to show restraint, Israel has issued strong rhetoric, saying that Iran’s drone and missile strikes have failed to cause much damage, which in itself is a huge victory.
“It’s very telling that Iran launched more than 300 air threats and 99 percent of them were shot down,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
The White House on Monday was even harsher.
“Israel is in a much stronger strategic position today than it was just a few days ago,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters, noting the range of countries providing aid to Israel.
Britain, France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia joined the United States and Israel in shooting down Iranian missiles and drones.
“Iran’s much-vaunted missile program, which it used to threaten Israel and the region, has proven to be far less effective,” Kirby said. “On the other hand, Israel’s defenses have proven to be even more capable than many had long believed. Even better than imagined.”
The Pentagon said late Monday that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Israel’s defense and reaffirmed its strategic goal of regional stability” in a conversation with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Galant.
Senior US officials said Iran’s attack on Israel was the first ever launched from Iranian soil and involved more than 110 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles and more than 150 one-way explosive drones.
They said Iran’s proxy forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen were also involved in the attack.
Iran called Saturday’s attack a success and said it was in response to a suspected Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers, including two senior commanders.
Some Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials said on Sunday that Iran had given advance warning of the attack to avoid mass casualties and prevent further escalation of hostilities.
But an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman denied such claims at a news conference in Tehran on Monday, saying “there is no prearranged agreement between us and any other party.”
U.S. officials also disputed reports that Tehran’s attack was symbolic.
“I’ve seen reports that the Iranians were doomed, that this spectacular and embarrassing failure was entirely intentional,” Kirby said, calling such claims “absolutely false.”
“Given the scale of this attack, it is clear that Iran’s intent was to cause significant damage and casualties,” Kirby said. “Our goal is to inflict as many people as possible on [missiles and drones] Pass through the Israeli defenses as much as possible. ”
Despite Iran’s intentions, US President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will not participate in any Israeli counteroffensive against Iran.
But multiple U.S. officials said on Monday that Washington’s support for Israel in the face of Iranian aggression remains “ironclad” and that U.S. military assets deployed in the region to defend against Iranian fire remain in place if Tehran tries again.
Still, concerns remain that an Iranian attack and a potential Israeli response could spark a wider regional conflict.
“We call on all parties to exercise restraint,” Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Tamim said during a visit to the U.S. State Department in Washington on Monday.
“We hope that the escalation and tensions in the region will come to an end,” Tamim said, adding that Iraq did not want to see the region “dragged into a broader war that threatens international security.”
European officials similarly urged caution.
“We are on the edge of a cliff and we have to stay away from it,” Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, told Spain’s Onda Cero radio station. “We have to put on the brakes and put into reverse gear.”
French President Macron said on Monday that the French government will make every effort to avoid escalating the situation between Israel and Iran.
In interviews with French media outlets BFM-TV and RMC, Macron also urged Israel to isolate Iran rather than escalate the situation.
The White House confirmed late Monday that those efforts were already underway, with members of the Group of Seven (G7) countries already beginning to impose a new round of sanctions targeting industries that support Iran’s missile program.
The G7 includes the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
The Associated Press and Reuters provided some information.
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