Threat to strike Iran ‘still effective,’ says Israeli foreign minister

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Tel Aviv's threat to attack Iran after its retaliatory response Saturday night is “still effective.”

In an interview with the Army Radio, Katz said: “We said that if Iran attacks Israel, we will attack it back, and this is still effective.”

“We need to deepen our cooperation with our allies,” he said, adding: “I will lead a political attack against Iran."

The foreign minister claimed that Tel Aviv on Saturday "received dozens of requests for support from the world," without providing any further details.

Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer told the Israeli Army Radio that “Iran’s audacity in such an attack must be erased.”

Iran began an airborne attack Saturday against Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital. The strike killed at least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals.

Iran said on Sunday that it won’t hesitate in taking further defensive measures to protect its “legitimate” interests against any “aggressive” military actions.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its adherence to the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter and international law, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

The ministry reiterated Iran’s determination to “decisively defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests against any illegal order to use force and aggression.”

“If necessary, we will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to protect Iranian legitimate interests against any aggressive military actions and illegal use of force,” it added.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi