During his visit to Israel on Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron revealed that Israel has made a clear decision to retaliate against Iran’s missile and drone attacks. This is the most severe warning issued so far of a potential escalation in the conflict in the region.
According to Reuters, Cameron, upon his arrival in Jerusalem, told reporters, “It is clear that the Israelis have decided to take action.” He expressed hope that Israel’s retaliatory actions would not lead to further deterioration of the situation.
Last Saturday, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, marking the first direct attack on Israel after decades of proxy wars. World powers are working to prevent a larger-scale conflict in the Middle East.
Iran claimed that the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Syria on April 1, which resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals and several other Iranian officers.
The ongoing war between Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel has lasted for over six months, with violence erupting in various parts of the Middle East. Diplomats are seeking ways to prevent direct conflict between Israel and Iran.
Most of the missiles and drones launched by Iran last Saturday were shot down by Israel and its allies, with no casualties reported. However, Israel has vowed to retaliate to maintain the credibility of its deterrence capabilities.
Iran stated that it considers the matter temporarily settled, but if Israel retaliates, it will launch another attack.
Washington and other Western governments hope that new economic sanctions on Iran will persuade Israel to limit the scope of its retaliation. Cameron mentioned that the UK hopes to see coordinated sanctions against Iran by the Group of Seven (G7), which will be discussed at a meeting in Italy this week.
He said, “The G7 needs to convey a clear and unambiguous message to Iran.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet will hold a meeting to discuss its response to Iran, including members from rival centrist factions who joined the government in unity after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated in a press release on Tuesday that Washington plans to implement new sanctions on Iran’s missile and drone programs within the coming days, with expectations for allied countries to follow suit.
Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that the U.S. would use sanctions and cooperate with allies to continue disrupting Iran’s “malicious and destabilizing activities.”
After an emergency video conference of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell mentioned that some member states have requested an expansion of sanctions against Iran.
Borrell explained that the proposal aims to broaden a series of sanctions aimed at curbing Iran’s supply of drones to Russia to include restrictions on missiles and even weapons deliveries to proxy agents in the Middle East.
Western countries, including the U.S., initially strongly supported Israel’s military operations against Hamas but are increasingly alarmed by the significant civilian casualties and are calling for an immediate ceasefire.
However, Hamas is using hostage threats against Israel in an attempt to secure favorable terms in a ceasefire agreement. Hamas stated that it would not release hostages without a ceasefire agreement that includes a clear plan to end the war.
Israel has indicated that it will not end the fighting until Hamas is eliminated.
The likelihood of famine in the Gaza Strip is increasing, with the U.S. and Israel indicating improved access for aid this month. However, aid agencies warn of severe shortages of food and medicine, raising concerns about an unavoidable humanitarian disaster.