Fears are growing of an imminent Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month.
In a joint statement issued Monday, leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy expressed their support for Israel in case of aggression from Iran and called on Tehran “to stand down on its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel.”
But Iran on Tuesday rejected Western calls to back down.
“Such a request lacks political logic, flies in the face of the principles and rules of international law, and constitutes public and practical support for Israel,” Nasser Kanaani, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a statement, according to state news agency IRNA.
On Monday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the Iranian attack “could happen as soon as this week,” but that it was “difficult to ascertain” what the assault would look like.
“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks,” Kirby told reporters.
During a rare phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday evening, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged him to not attack Israel and told him war “was not in anyone’s interests.”
Starmer warned Pezeshkian there was a “serious risk of miscalculation” and told Iran to “refrain from attacking Israel,” according to a U.K. description of the conversation.
The phone call came after the Israeli military was put on high alert Monday night over a potential Iranian attack which could trigger a wider regional war. Israeli forces are already battling Iran-funded militants from Hamas in the Gaza Strip and from Hezbollah near the Lebanese border.
Several European countries have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon due to fears Hezbollah could play a key role in Tehran’s retaliation and spark a serious response from Israel.
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