Politics Israel: multi-front war against Iran's "axis of evil"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees his country in a "multi-front war against Iran's axis of evil". At the same time, he warned the leadership in Tehran and its allies against "any kind of aggression" against his country. "I reaffirm and say to our enemies: We will respond and impose a high price," said the conservative politician. Israel is prepared for any development. Following the targeted killing of Hamas foreign leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran, Iran, which denies Israel's right to exist, has threatened massive retaliation.

It is feared that a conflagration could break out in the region with unforeseeable consequences. Such a threat already arose after April 14, when the Iranian Revolutionary Guards fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in the first direct attack from Iranian soil. Israel was able to intercept most of the missiles on its own and with the help of the USA and other allies. Israel's retaliation was relatively small.

The Iranian attack at the time followed an attack attributed to Israel on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus, in which two Iranian generals were killed. The government in Jerusalem has not yet officially commented on the question of whether Israel also deliberately killed Haniya.

Netanyahu rejected accusations that he had torpedoed the talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas with ever new demands. "The exact opposite is the case. The simple truth is that Hamas has not yet agreed to even the most basic terms of the draft," Netanyahu said, according to his office. While Israel had "not added a single demand" to the original draft, Hamas was demanding dozens of changes. "I am willing to go very far to get all our hostages released while preserving Israel's security," Netanyahu added.

SDA