Military

Gallant Told Austin Israel 'Has No Choice' But to Strike Against Iran - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke over the weekend with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and informed him that Israel has no choice but to attack Iran in response to the latter's retaliatory drone and missile strike on Saturday night, Axios reported on Monday, citing a US official and a source in the know.
Sputnik
Gallant told Austin that Israel will not allow the Iranian attack to take place without a response, adding that the Netanyahu government also will not accept Iranian retaliatory attacks every time it strikes targets in Syria, the report said.
On Saturday night, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The attack came in response to Israel's airstrike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital in early April. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel had intercepted 99% of the aerial targets fired by Iran, including all drones.
Analysis
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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said earlier in the day that Israel will face an immediate and a larger-scale response if it decides to continue escalating tensions with Iran.
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