Iran vows harsher response to any Israeli counterattack

FILE PHOTO: An anti-Israel billboard is seen next to the Iranian flag during a celebration following the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2024.
FILE PHOTO: An anti-Israel billboard is seen next to the Iranian flag during a celebration following the IRGC attack on Israel, in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2024.

Iranian officials not only continued to threaten Israel on Monday but also glorified the October 7 Hamas attack as the anniversary passed without the anticipated Israeli retaliation.

Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, in an interview with ISNA, said the threats against Iran after last week's missile barrage were "a joke" as Israel bided its time to respond.

Iranian military leaders spoke defiantly as the country prepared for certain retaliation. Abdolrahim Mousavi, Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Army, stated that Lebanese Hezbollah, Iran's largest proxy, had inflicted “severe” blows on Israel, and further violence would lead to “harsher” Iranian responses. "If the Zionists commit a crime in response to the reply we gave them, they will undoubtedly receive a stronger and more destructive response," Mousavi said.

They did not acknowledge that Iran's response to the killing of Iran-backed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was only carried out two months later, and on the back of the killing of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Meanwhile, Israel's Kan 11 reported that the United States had offered Israel a “compensation package” if it refrained from attacking specific Iranian targets. This package reportedly included comprehensive diplomatic protection and a weapons package, according to American officials involved in the negotiations.

As Israel mourned the one-year-anniversary of the October 7 atrocities, in which 251 people were taken hostage to Gaza and 1,100 mostly civilians were killed, the official X account of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Hebrew stated, "The Al-Aqsa Storm operation", another name for the October 7 attack, "set the Zionist regime back by 70 years."

With the country in mourning, many Israelis felt the timing of a retaliation would be inappropriate on the day when ceremonies around the country focused on those lost and the people still held in captivity.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that “everything is on the table” and that Israel would respond to the unprecedented Iranian attack "in the manner of our choosing, and at the time and place of our choosing."

Expectations of an Israeli strike grew on Sunday night as Iran locked down flight paths on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack, but Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization lifted flight restrictions late Sunday night.

Iran's First Vice President said that "no threat [of retaliation] can make us retreat from our plans and actions; we will continue our path firmly", as Iran's proxies around Israel continue to send missiles to the Jewish state.

Adding to the rhetoric, Iran’s National Security Commission also reviewed the country's preparedness for possible Israeli retaliation. Ebrahim Rezaei, the commission's spokesperson, noted that key Iranian military and security institutions, including the IRGC and the Ministry of Defense, presented reports on their readiness to face threats.

As tensions continue to mount, both sides seem poised for a potential confrontation amid a bitter psychological war. While Iran maintains its threats and displays of defiance, Israel's promised response remains to be seen, leaving the region on edge, awaiting the next move.