Israel will stand firm against the threat by Iran and its proxies near and far, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday as the international community scrambled to prevent an all-out Iranian-Israeli war.
“Iran and its detractors seek to surround us with a stranglehold of terror. We are determined to stand against them on every front and in every arena - far and near,” Netanyahu said.
“Anyone who hurts us will pay a very heavy price,” Netanyahu said, echoing the words that Gallant had uttered hours earlier.
“Our readiness in terms of defense is high - be it on the ground or in the air,” he stated.
The United States moved a carrier ship to the region in light of the increased threat that followed the twin assassinations of Hezbollah Commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Israel has taken responsibility for Shukr’s killing but not Haniyeh’s. It is, however, widely believed to be responsible for the latter’s killing and Tehran has sworn to avenge his death, accusing Israel of crossing all red lines and violating its sovereignty.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said Tehran’s revenge will be “severe and at the appropriate time, place and manner.”
US ready to defend Israel
The US prepared to defend Israel, as it did when Iran last attacked overnight on April 13, when it led a coalition of five armies that shot out 300 missiles and drones out of the Israeli skies.
The United States “is preparing for every possibility, just as we did in advance of April 13, when Iran attacked Israel and the United States and a coalition of our partners and allies worked with Israel to defeat that attack,” US national security deputy adviser Jonathan Finer told ABC’s This Week.
“The Pentagon is moving significant assets to the region to prepare for what may be another need to defend Israel from an attack,” he said.
But he added the US is also “working very hard to de-escalate this situation diplomatically.
“Because we do not believe that a regional war is in anyone's interest in the current moment, and that is something that we've been trying to avoid since October 7,” he stated.
Finer said that the US in close “conjunction with our Israeli allies and our partner allies” is “doing everything possible to make sure that this situation does not boil over, even in the context of providing significant assets, US assets and the help of other countries to defend Israel, should the need arise again.”
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was set to travel to Iran on Sunday in a rare visit to discuss regional developments with his Iranian counterpart.
Regional tensions have spiked following the assassination, with countries warning its citizens to leave Lebanon.
Safadi's visit to Iran follows continued diplomatic contacts by the United States and its partners including France, Britain, Italy, and Egypt on Saturday to prevent further regional escalation.
Jordan was one of five armies, along with Israel, the US, Great Britain, and France, that defended Israel from Iran in April. It is located in the flight path of some of the missiles that were and would be launched from Iran.
Reuters contributed to this report.