Iran warns of response to any Israeli attack, says energy sector secure - analysis

Iran has warned that any Israeli attack on Israel will be met with “stronger and harsher” responses. This comes in the wake of the October 1 Iranian attack on Israel with 181 ballistic missiles. Iran has been seeking to prevent an Israeli retaliation, at least any kind of retaliation that would be large or visible, by making new threats.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has just completed a trip to Lebanon and on the way back to Iran. He stopped in Damascus on October 5 where he made the comments. He said “Iran’s response to any Israeli aggression will be stronger and harsher,” Iran’s IRNA media reported. He held a press conference in Damascus.

The Iranian foreign minister flew to Lebanon on Friday to show solidarity with Hezbollah and also with Lebanon in general. His flight came into Beirut International Airport, which is not far from areas that the IDF has been striking in Dahiya in Beirut.

This was an important symbol for Iran in the wake of the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Iranian commander Abbas Nilforoushan was also killed in Beirut alongside Nasrallah. “The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that his trip to Damascus and Beirut had a clear message that Iran would support the Resistance under any circumstances,” IRNA noted.

Araghchi spent time in Damascus, reassuring Syria that it is a strategic ally of Iran. “Araghchi mentioned that there are initiatives for a ceasefire by some countries in the region and beyond, and Iran will continue its consultations with them.

He also highlighted that the Palestinians and the Lebanese need to agree on the terms of the ceasefire, and Iran and Syria will support such an agreement,” the report noted. He also discussed Iran’s support for the Houthis in Yemen.

Meanwhile, in Iran, the Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknezhad downplayed threats to Iran’s energy sector. He was in Assaluyeh, which is in southern Iran where there are gas production facilities. “Paknezhad’s trip comes amid speculations that Israel may attack Iranian oil facilities following Iran’s missile launch at the regime’s military and security positions on October 1,” Iranian state media noted.

In addition to the comments by the Iranian energy czar and the foreign minister, Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, has also made new comments about how Iran has warned that it could have a “stronger” response to any Israeli attack.

Iran closes its skies

This comes amid reports Iran has stopped flights to its airports from nine in the evening of October 6 through six in the morning on October 7. October 7 is the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. Iran backs Hamas.

Iran has attacked Israel directly twice in the past year, once in April and once in October. “Iran’s restraint after the Israeli regime’s assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 proved that their claims about reaching a truce deal were false as they later assassinated Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” says Iran’s ambassador to Russia, IRNA reported.

Jalali was at a meeting in Moscow on Saturday when he made the comments. The meeting was at an Islamic Center and was devoted to commemorating the Iranian IRGC commander Nilforoushan, who was killed in Beirut in September alongside Nasrallah.

The reports about the event in Moscow indicate that Iran launched its missile attack on Israel on October 1 in order to make it clear it was “responding” to Israel. Iran always claims to be responding, even though it is the one attacking. “We’re strong,” the diplomat said.