In a marked display of defiance, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has characterized the weapons employed in an Israeli strike on Iran as childlike and ineffectual. In an NBC News interview, while attending a U.N. Security Council session in New York, Amirabdollahian dismissed the recent Israeli attack as insignificant, saying “What happened last night was not a strike. They were more like toys that our children play with – not drones.” His comments come amid a recent escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran, which has unfolded against the backdrop of a long-standing shadow conflict.
Iran’s resilience was underlined as Amirabdollahian signaled that Iran would not be goaded into retaliatory action unless provoked by a significant Israeli offense. “As long as there is no new adventurism by Israel against our interests, then we are not going to have any new reactions,” he stated. However, the foreign minister sternly warned that a decisive attack by Israel would be met with an immediate and potent Iranian response, aimed at making Israel regret its actions.
This recent uptick in tensions began on April 1, when an Israeli airstrike targeted an Iranian consular building in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of several members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran’s retort was a direct military strike on Israel, involving over 300 missiles and drones, an unprecedented escalation in direct confrontations. Though the assault reportedly caused no significant damage—owing to interceptions by Israeli, U.S., and allied defenses—the Iranian foreign minister revealed that the attack was a “warning,” demonstrating that Iran had the capacity to strike at the heart of Israeli cities and economic infrastructure while maintaining a policy of avoiding civilian casualties.
Amirabdollahian’s remarks came against the backdrop of the Biden administration’s call for restraint, urging Israel not to engage in retaliatory actions that could spiral into a full-scale war. In response to Iran’s military display, Israel executed a more measured counterstrike, targeting a military airfield near Isfahan, which did not result in casualties or damage to nuclear facilities. This limited response, accompanied by silence from Israeli officials, suggests a mutual interest in deescalating the crisis.
Amidst the geopolitical maneuvering, the Iranian foreign minister took the opportunity to express hope for progress on a separate front: the release of hostages as part of a broader settlement. Indicating Hamas’s readiness to proceed with prisoner exchanges, Amirabdollahian believed “now is a good time,” and that “there is a good chance for this.”
Relevant articles:
– Iranian foreign minister says the weapons used in Israeli attack were ‘like toys that our children play with’
– Iranian foreign minister says it will not escalate conflict and mocks Israeli weapons as ‘toys that our children play with’, AOL, Fri, 19 Apr 2024 22:25:52 GMT
– ‘If they escalate, we will escalate’: Hezbollah leader on potential Israel response, NBC News, Fri, 19 Apr 2024 01:55:19 GMT
– April 17: Over 7,000 Israeli military personnel wounded in fighting since October 7, The Times of Israel, Wed, 17 Apr 2024 01:46:33 GMT