.Intercepts 99% of 300 drones, missiles fired by Iran
.US won’t participate in retaliatory attack – Biden
.G7 leaders condemn Iran
.As Iran summons British, French, German ambassadors over countries’ reactions
.UN Security Council should take responsibility for maintaining global peace- Saudi Arabia
.America, UK should ensure peace – Bayo Onanuga
Chigozie Amadi
Following the Iran ballistic attack on Israel by Iran, Israel’s three-man war cabinet is weighing the country’s response to an unprecedented overnight barrage of drone and missile strikes from Iran, which threatens to tip the crisis in the Middle East into an untempered regional war, reports CNN.
The war cabinet has been authorized to decide how to respond to the attack, with one of its members – Defense Minister Yoav Gallant – warning that the event is “not over yet.”
Gallant said Israel had “thwarted this attack in a way that is unparalleled” but added “we must be prepared for every scenario.”
The Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus on 1 April marks an unprecedented escalation by Israel against Iran in Syria.
The attack had killed Iran’s top soldier, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, among other Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders.
In his first comments after the retaliatory attack by Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “we have intercepted, we have contained. Together we shall win.”
Israel will respond to Iran’s attack, but the scope of that attack has yet to be decided, an Israeli official told CNN on Sunday.
The official said Israel is yet to determine whether to try and “break all the dishes” or do something more measured.
Speaking on the issue, Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, says the United States of America and the United Kingdom owe the world the responsibility for peace in the Middle East.
Onanuga said the duo should ensure that the Israeli response to Iranian drones and missiles is not disproportionate.
His statement is contained in a post on his X handle on Sunday.
He said the view is his personal opinion and doesn’t come from the Presidency, where he serves.Onanuga says the conflict could degenerate, urging the UK, and the US to mediate.
According to him, there is a need for caution all round, adding that, with Gaza yet unresolved, the world does not want another war in the Middle East.
He said: “United States of America and the UK owe the world the responsibility for peace in the Middle East by ensuring that Israeli response to Iranian drones and missiles is not disproportionate. Israel first drew blood by attacking the Iranian embassy in Damascus, killing some Iranian military officials. Iran promised some retaliation against Israel which it did Saturday by raining drones and missiles in Israeli direction. Many of them were intercepted. Times of Israel has reported one injury.
“Iran said it has concluded its retaliation to Israel’s first attack. But Israel is planning a massive response. With Jordan, Syria and other countries closing their airspace, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani threatened a firm response to any country that “opens its airspace or territory for attacks on Iran by Israel”. This conflict can degenerate.
“The UK, USA should mediate. There is need for caution all round. With Gaza yet unresolved, the world does not want another war in the Middle East.”
G7 condemns Iran attack on Israel, calls for restraint
In their reaction, leaders of G7 condemned the attack, saying, “We unanimously condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel”, European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X, formerly Twitter, following video talks.
“We will continue all our efforts to work towards de-escalation. Ending the crisis in Gaza as soon as possible, notably through an immediate ceasefire, will make a difference.”
Meanwhile, some top U.S. officials are worried that Israel may respond hastily to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attacks and provoke a wider regional conflict that the U.S. could get dragged into.
President Joe Biden, who has publicly reinforced his administration’s “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s defense, has privately expressed concern that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to drag Washington into a broader conflict, according to three people familiar with his comments.
A senior administration official told NBC News that Biden told Netanyahu in a call Saturday night that the U.S. will not participate in offensive operations against Iran, and that Israel should not respond by retaliating against Iran.
Iran’s retaliatory attack on Saturday — which swarmed Israeli airspace with hundreds of drones and missiles, while causing relatively limited damage — was unprecedented, but calibrated to show deterrence without provoking an all-out war, according to experts who spoke to NBC News.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry summoned on Sunday the ambassadors of Britain, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel.
The three European countries have condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack against Israel, which went through Saturday night into Sunday and were in retaliation for Israel’s bombing of its consulate in Syria on April.
The director for Western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry accused the three countries of “double standards” as they opposed earlier this month a Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council statement that would have condemned Israel’s attack on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria.
“Iran’s military action against the Zionist regime’s (Israel) bases is well within the framework of the right to legitimate defence stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and it is in response to a series of crimes, including the recent attack on the embassy compound in Syria,” the official added.
Following Iranian drone and missile attacks directed at Israel, the Saudi Foreign Ministry has expressed concerns over the escalations in the region, warning of dire consequences if the situation gers worsen
This was contained in a statement published by the Saudi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X Sunday, saying UN security council should take responsibility for maintaining international peace.
“The Ministry reaffirms the Kingdom’s position that stresses the need for the (UN) Security Council to take responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, especially in this highly sensitive region for global peace and security,” the Saudi ministry added.
The ministry stressed the importance of “preventing any further exacerbation” of the crisis, warning of “dire consequences” should the situation worsen.
