Several Western nations are calling on Israel to exercise restraint and avoid escalating conflict in the wake of Iran’s recent attack on the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened Israel’s war cabinet for the second time in less than 24 hours to discuss the response to Iran’s missile and drone assault over the weekend.
Israel’s army chief, General Herzi Halevi, assured troops that Israel would respond to the attack, stating that any incursion into Israeli territory would not go unanswered. The Iranian attack, which targeted Israel with over 300 drones and missiles, was purportedly in retaliation for an earlier April 1 strike on Iran’s embassy consular annex in Damascus, which Iran attributed to Israel.
Israel said they were able to reduce the havoc with assistance from the United States and other allies in intercepting 99 percent of the incoming threats.
Western leaders, Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated the need to de-escalate the situation, in line with the same remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also joined in calling for restraint, emphasizing the global importance to prevent further conflict. Even Russia, a key ally of Iran, expressed concern about the risk of escalation and called for all parties to exercise restraint.
