Iran warns Israel against reprisals, world powers urge restraint

IRAN warned Israel and the US on Sunday (Apr 14) of a much larger response if there is any retaliation for its mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory on Saturday night, as Israel said “the campaign is not over yet”.

The threat of open warfare erupting between the arch Middle East foes and dragging in the US has put the region on edge, as Washington said America did not seek conflict with Iran but would not hesitate to protect its forces and Israel.

Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on Apr 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders.

This followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran’s regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza.

However, the attack from hundreds of missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel; most were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan.

An Air Force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal, and a 7-year-old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

Ahead of a war Cabinet meeting in Israel, Minister Benny Gantz warned Israel will retaliate when the time is right. “We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us,” he said.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on NBC’s Meet the Press that repelling the mass drone attack had been an “incredible military achievement” by Israel and its partners, and had shown how Israel is not isolated on the world stage.

“Now, whether and how the Israelis will respond, that’s going to be up to them. We understand that and respect that. But the president’s been very clear: we don’t seek a war with Iran.”

Iran’s mission to the United Nations said its actions were aimed at punishing “Israeli crimes”, but that it now “deemed the matter concluded”.

The country’s army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned that “our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran” and told Washington its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said Teheran had informed the US that its attack on Israel would be “limited” and for self-defence, and that regional neighbours had also been informed of its planned strikes 72 hours in advance.

Global powers Russia, China, France and Germany as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates urged restraint, ahead of a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting requested by Israel. Turkey also warned Iran that it did not want further tension in the region.

Leaders of G7 nations on Sunday condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and called for “restraint” from all sides.

“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.”

A spokesperson for Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said these “escalating attacks exacerbate tensions and further destabilise an already tense region”.

“Singapore remains deeply concerned about the volatile situation in the Middle East, and the continuing danger of the war in Gaza triggering a wider regional conflagration,” said the spokesperson.

MFA added that the Republic calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalatory actions.

Referring to the war in Gaza, MFA said: “The focus should be on securing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; the immediate and unconditional release of hostages; and the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected civilians throughout Gaza.”

Escalation

Analysts debated how far Iran’s attack was calibrated to cause genuine devastation in Israel, or to save face at home after vows of revenge while avoiding a major new war.

“I think the Iranians took into consideration the fact that Israel has a very, very strong multi-layer anti-missile system and they probably took into consideration that there will not be too many casualties,” said Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

But if Iran was hoping for a muted response, like with its missile attacks on US forces in Iraq after the killing of Guards commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, she said she does not believe Israel sees it that way.

On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, underscoring the risks to the world economy of a wider conflict.

The war in Gaza, which Israel invaded after an attack by Iran-backed Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, has spread to fronts with Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

Iran’s most powerful ally in the region, the Lebanese Shi’ite group Hizbollah, fired rockets at an Israeli base overnight. Israel said it struck a Hizbollah site deep inside Lebanon on Sunday morning.

Yemen’s Houthis, who have been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea in what they say is support for the Palestinians, called Iran’s attack legitimate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for years advocated a tough military line against Iran, pushing the US or harder action over Teheran’s nuclear programme and its backing for Hizbollah, Hamas and other groups in the region.

Air travel disruption

A number of airlines are re-routing or avoiding trouble spots in decisions that will prolong flight times and add to fuel costs. They include Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines and Deutsche Lufthansa.

Kuwait Airways, meanwhile, said it was diverting flights away from “tension areas”.

Swiss International Air Lines said it will suspend Tel Aviv flights until further notice, and all its aircraft will avoid Iran, Iraq and Israeli airspace.

Israel shut down its airspace for both domestic and international routes on Saturday, before reopening them Sunday morning. 

Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq temporarily closed their airspace for incoming, outgoing and transit flights as a precautionary measure. Amman extended the closure for several hours, citing growing risks in the region, according to state-run media.

Iran’s airspace is frequently utilised by airlines travelling between Europe and India or South-east Asia. Airspace across the Middle East is littered with risks and complexities. Airlines are contending with a set of challenges after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine severed access for many carriers, forcing lengthy diversions which exist to this day.

Earlier in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, airlines faced scores of disruptions primarily centred on Tel Aviv, cancelling flights into or out of the country.

Days earlier, Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, suspended flights to Teheran, a move followed by its sister carrier Austrian Airlines. Qantas also temporarily adjusted its direct Perth-London flights to stop over in Singapore to account for the extra fuel needed to re-route around the volatile region.

Singapore Airlines said that its flights were not overflying Iranian airspace. Cathay Pacific is watching the situation in the Middle East closely, but its operations remain normal, a spokesman said in a text message on Sunday. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG, AFP, THE STRAITS TIMES