"This is like a real war. I mean, this is a declaration of war," Herzog said in an interview with Sky News.
Asked how Israel planned to respond, Herzog said Israel would consider the repercussions when deliberating its options in coordinating with its partners.
"Because we are restrained, and because we know there are repercussions, and because we have deliberations with our partners, we are considering all options, and I’m quite confident that we will take steps that are necessary to protect and defend our people," he said.
Lior Haiat, a spokesperson of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said in a statement on social media that Iran’s attack proved the Islamic Republic to be "the greatest threat to regional stability and world order."
"This is precisely why Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons," he wrote.
Haiat demanded that Iran pay a heavy price for Saturday's attack. He suggested the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (which coordinated the missile and drone attack on Israel) should be declared a terrorist organization, while Iran should be slapped with sanctions, "including but not limited to the field of missiles."
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Sunday that the Islamic Republic had taught Israel a "lesson" in the wake of its April 1 airstrike targeting the Iranian Embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, while Iran's senior commanders have warned Israel and its US allies of a massive retaliation should Tel Aviv proceed with an attempt to attack Iran.
Iran's mission to the United Nations announced Sunday that its overnight retaliatory attack on Israel had "concluded," but warned that "should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably more severe."
"From now on, if the Zionist regime attacks our interests, assets, figures, and citizens at any point on Earth, it will face counterattack from within the Islamic Republic of Iran," IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami said Sunday morning.