Israeli FM Leads Call For Designation Of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

In a phone call Monday, Wang condemned the alleged Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate compound on April 1, supporting Iran's right to self-defense, calling it a violation of international law, according to the Xinhua state news agency.

On Saturday night, Iran launched over 350 drones and missiles towards Israel, 99 percent of which were intercepted by Israel and its allies including Jordan, the US, and the UK.

Wang also said China appreciated Iran's decision on not targeting regional and neighboring countries. He added that “China has noted Iran's statement that its action was limited and was an act of self-defense.”

Iran had handled "the situation well and spared the region further turmoil while safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity”, Wang said.

He blamed the escalations on the ongoing Gaza war, triggered by the Iran-backed Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, in which 1,200 mostly civilians were murdered and 250 or more taken hostage.

Urging the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2728, China continues to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, citing the humanitarian disaster as grounds for intervention. Hamas claims over 32,000 people have died in the last six months.

However, with over 130 hostages still in Gaza, Israel has so far refused ceasefire demands, its war aims to rescue the hostages and to destroy the capabilities of Hamas.

It is the latest show of support from China which has recently carried out military exercises with Iran and remains Iran's biggest oil customer defying US sanctions on the export of Iranian oil. With huge construction projects from Chinese companies underway in Iran in addition to trade links, Iran is at the behest of Beijing which remains a key partner amid sanctions.

However, as the Middle East's allegiances shift, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Saudi Arabia was among the countries providing key intelligence about Iran’s plans to attack Israel, crucial to the success of the air defense measures that almost entirely prevented the attack.

Mohsen Sazegara, a US-based journalist and political activist, told Iran International that this is the first time Arab nations have supported Israel in a military operation against another Islamic country.

Several Iranian news outlets reported that Iran's air defense was on high alert, suggesting potential flight restrictions due to Saturday night's Iranian bombardment of Israel with over 350 drones and missiles. However, authorities claim that all air routes across the country remain open.

On Monday evening, Israel's Military Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, confirmed that Israel would retaliate, though specifics of the response remain undisclosed. "This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response," Halevi said during a briefing at the Nevatim air base which had minor damage following the strike.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been actively consulting with his war cabinet, having convened meetings twice in less than 24 hours to discuss potential responses to Iran’s recent attack in which 99 percent of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel and its allies.

It was the first direct strike from Iranian soil to the Jewish state, bringing its shadow war into the forefront of the region's geopolitics. Two air bases were among the targets and one seven-year-old Bedouin girl remains in a critical condition from shrapnel injuries.

Iran launched the assault as a response to what it claims was an Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1, emphasizing its intention to avoid further escalation.

The ongoing developments have stirred concerns among Iranians, many of whom are already grappling with economic challenges and increased socio-political restrictions following the protests which began in 2022.

Several Israeli officials have stated that Iran’s larger-than-expected attack would not be left unanswered, even though 99% of all Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted by Israeli defense systems and allied air forces.

“Iran will face the consequences for its actions,” Israel Army Chief of Staff Gen. Halevi said in a video statement. “We will choose our response accordingly."

At the same time, pressure from Europe and some Arab counties might force Israel to adopt a retaliatory strategy the would be less likely to lead to a major escalation.

This was the clearest indication of Israeli intentions after the war cabinet, headed by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met twice in less than 24 hours to weigh their options. No details were offered officially, but Israel’s Channel N12 News claimed that the response would likely be one that hits the Iranian regime in a way that doesn’t trigger an even bigger response.

Anticipating the attack, Iran went on the propaganda offensive.

Iran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani said any Israeli attack would be responded to in “less than a few seconds". A member of Iran’s Islamic Parliament (Majles) went further. "We are prepared to use a weapon that we have never used," said Abolfazl Amouei, the spokesman for the Majles’ National Security Committee, urging Israel to "act wisely".

Experts and unnamed Israeli officials have suggested several ‘possible’ courses of action: large-scale cyber-attack, hitting Iranian proxies, or covert operation inside Iran. This would not surprise many, since several Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed inside Iran in the past, and there have been mysterious explosions in nuclear facilities and other strategic locations.

Israel never took responsibility for these incidents and never denied it either. Now also, Israel could attack important targets and keep silent, not putting the Iranians in a situation to be forced to respond.

Whatever the Israeli response, it will likely be consulted with the Americans, according to media reports in Israel. The Biden administration has said it will not take part or assist in the Israeli operation, downplaying the significance of the Iranian attack and highlighting Israel’s success in thwarting the offensive almost entirely.

"What we showed on Saturday night was that Iran is not militarily superior, is not 10 feet tall, and that Israel is not alone," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told NBC News Monday, when asked if he agrees that Iran would be emboldened without a response.

The administration’s stance has angered Biden’s more hawkish critics, who have accused him of ‘appeasing’ Iran and ‘abandoning’ Israel.

“Sadly, Iran isn't worried about the United States,” former national security advisor John Bolton told Newsmax. “They don't see Biden as having the spine to cross Iran's red line of not attacking Israel directly.”

Officials in Iran maintain that Israel’s attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus crossed a red line and had to be responded to restore deterrence. The Israeli response would test this idea –and potentially trigger a cycle of retaliatory attacks that could spiral into a full-scale war.

“We’re on the edge of the cliff and we have to move away from it,” EU foreign affairs High Representative Josep Borrell said in a radio interview. “We have to step on the brakes and reverse gear.”

Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters in New York that Iran had closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday over “security considerations.” While they reopened on Monday, Grossi said he kept IAEA inspectors away “until we see that the situation is completely calm.”

After Iran targeted Israel with a massive barrage of around 350 drones and missile on Saturday/Sunday night, Israeli leaders have vowed retaliation. The United States, European powers and some regional counties have urged Israel to exercise restraint, but Israel military and political officials have vowed to restore deterrence.

“We are going to resume tomorrow,” Grossi added. “This has not had an impact on our inspection activity.”

Asked about the possibility of an Israel strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi said, “We are always concerned about this possibility.” Grossi also urged “extreme restraint.”

In his statement, Pahlavi firmly delineated the separation between the regime's ambitions and the desires of the Iranian people, emphasizing solidarity with the people who suffer the repercussions of the “oppressive” policies of the Islamic Republic apparatus.

"The war of Khamenei and his Guards with Israel is not the Iranian nation’s war. But it is you, burdened by economic problems and psychological pressures of a regime that has used Iranians as human shields for the past 45 years, that will bear the cost….”

Pahlavi further added that the fates of Iranians and Israelis have become intricately linked, with both nations yearning for peace obstructed by a mutual adversary: the Islamic Republic.

He highlighted that "the attack against Israel coincided with a new round of attacks on Iranian women," pointing to the new initiative by the police in Iran to enforce mandatory hijab regulations and crackdown on women intensifying.

Addressing the military in his statement, he implored them to rethink their allegiance and stand in solidarity with the Iranian people.

He further called on the Iranian diaspora to "urge the governments in the nations in which we live to cease appeasing Khamenei's regime and instead support the people of Iran.".

Central to Pahlavi's narrative is the imperative need for regime change, advocating for “the establishment of a national, secular, and democratic government", echoing the voices of the Iranian people and the ever-growing momentum behind the anti-government movement inside Iran.