Iran warns Israel against military response

By Muhammed Yasin Gungor and Ayse Dogru

ANKARA (AA) - Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, issued a stern warning to Israel regarding potential retaliation on Sunday.

Iravani cautioned that Israel should refrain from military action, following an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council.

He dismissed Israel's threats of response to Iran's attack as "mere rhetoric" in an interview with Sky News television.

Stressing that Iran's next retaliation would be more "decisive," he said Israel is well aware of the consequences.

Iravani concluded by reiterating the warning: "Israel knows what our second retaliation would be."

- Iran-Israel tensions

On April 1, Israel launched an airstrike on Iran's consulate building in Damascus. Seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals, were killed in the attack.

Iran announced that Israel's consulate attack amounted to an attack on its territory and that it would retaliate.

Israel had also said it would respond to Iran's attacks.

Late on Saturday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel in response to the April 1 attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus.

The attack, which killed seven Iranian military officials, including a senior IRGC commander, drew sharp reactions from the Iranian government officials, who vowed a "decisive response."

According to some unconfirmed reports, the IRGC fired more than 300 drones and missiles in an attack that lasted several hours, many of which were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems.

However, IRGC commander Gen. Hossein Salami told reporters in Tehran on Sunday morning that the operation was successful more than they had expected.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Israel may decide to retaliate, which experts believe could trigger an all-out regional war.