Russia and Germany on Thursday urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint and Israel said it was preparing to "meet all its security needs" in a region on edge over an Iranian threat to strike Israel.
The German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a suspension of its flights to the Iranian capital and Russia warned against travel to the Middle East.
Iran has vowed revenge for the April 1 airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus that killed a top Iranian general and six other Iranian military officers, ratcheting up tension in a region already strained by the Gaza war.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Israel "must be punished and it shall be", saying it was tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil.
The "imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime" might have been avoided had the U.N. Security Council condemned the strike and brought the perpetrators to justice, Tehran's mission to the United Nations said on Thursday.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was keeping up its war in Gaza but making security preparations elsewhere."Whoever harms us, we will harm them.
We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively," he said in comments released following a visit to an air force base.
Conflict has spread across the Middle East since the eruption of the Gaza war, with Iran-backed groups decl…
Tehran has avoided direct confrontation with Israel or the United States, while declaring support for its allies.
Read more.Here are the top political news stories for today.
Good and Russia better stay the hell out of the way too while we are at it.
@TenaciousGrassr00t2yrs2Y
In the last 2 years Iran has received increasing support from Russia, and is constantly building up its air defense capability, as well as its anti-shipping weapons, and the United States has a very narrow window if it wants to prevent Iran from going nuclear.
@GrizzledTariffGreen2yrs2Y
According to Israeli intelligence sources, Iran has delayed its response to the Israeli assassination in Syria after the US threatened that it would respond to such an attack. It is unclear if and when Iran will respond.
@SenateBill2yrs2Y
Iran will probably not respond directly, but by way of a hail of missiles from Lebanon, Yemen, and also Syria. Courtesy of Hizbullah, the Houthis, and Whatstheirname.
@GrizzledTariffGreen2yrs2Y
There was a plan to respond directly. It has been delayed.
@SenateBill2yrs2Y
I read that, too. But the risk is too high for the mullahs, what with them being already unpopular among their people, and Iran's economy being strained anyway. They will rely on proxies, like they always do.
@GrizzledTariffGreen2yrs2Y
There is the element of national honor, which they have to uphold.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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