IRAN: “The Matter Can Be Deemed Concluded”

In a public statement late on Saturday night, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN declared on Twitter that its massive drone and missile attack on Israel, which it conducted with proxies in Iraq and Yemen, is now over. The Iranian regime stated that the attack was in response to the April 1 Israeli strike against an Iranian target in Damascus, Syria, which killed 12 people included two senior generals in the Revolutionary Guards Quds force.

“Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded,” the Tweet stated.

The statement then promised that another “response” would follow if Israel directed any further attacks against the regime, and that it would be more serious.

The Iranians also warned the US to stay out of any hostilities between Teheran and Jerusalem, using block capitals as a clear signal of its deadly intent.

“However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY.”

Hundreds of missiles and drones were fired from Iran, Iraq and Yemen, but most appear to have been intercepted and destroyed. Little damage is reported, but a young girl was taken to hospital with minor shrapnel injuries from an intercepted missile.

Israel’s allies in the region, including Jordan, helped shoot down drones. The British Royal Air Force also scrambled nearby jets to intercept targets within their range.

As the attack progressed, President Biden drew an early close to a weekend visit to his Delaware beach house to reconvene at the White House with his national-security staff. He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reassure him of American support.

On social media, President Biden said that his “commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.

An Israeli response is awaited, with the potential for significant escalation in the wider region and even beyond.

Both Russia and China have warned against escalation.

Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said on the Telegram that the Un Security Council had received letters from both Israel and Iran, and that the letter from Iran asserted the legitimacy of the attacks as a form of self-defence.

“The latter warns that if Israel responds, Iran will respond in a more powerful and decisive manner,” Polyanskiy added.

The Chinese foreign ministry urged “calm and restraint” on all sides. It described the Iranian attack as the “latest spillover of the Gaza conflict,” and declared that the Gaza war “must end now.”

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