Iran warns neighbors against helping Israel counterattack

Any country that provides an air or land passage for West Jerusalem’s troops will face Tehran’s wrath, the Islamic Republic has said

Any nation that would help Israel mount an attack against Iran would face serious consequences, the Islamic Republic’s defense minister, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, warned earlt Sunday. His statement came as Tehran launched a massive air strike against the Jewish State in what it called retaliation for Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria.

“Whatever country that [would] open its soil or airspace to Israel for a [potential] attack on Iran, will [face] our decisive response,” Ashtiani said.

Earlier, Tehran confirmed launching multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Israel and announced an imminent missile strike. The Israeli military were tracking more than 100 drones heading towards the nation’s territory, the local media reported, adding that the UAVs are expected to reach Israel “within hours” and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seek to intercept them mid-air.

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The development prompted several Middle Eastern nations, including Jordan and Lebanon, to close their airspace in response. Amman also declared a state of emergency over the situation.

The exact targets of the attack remain unclear. Iran’s Revoultionary Guards Corps (IRGC) called the attack a retaliation against Israel’s “numerous crimes,” including an early April strike targeting an Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The attack killed seven officers of the IRGC’s Quds Force, including two generals.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei then vowed a response. The US warned Isarel on Friday that Tehran could launch a massive strike against it over the weekend.