Diplomats on Tuesday pushed to moderate any Israeli retaliation against Iran, seeking to avoid escalation and wider confrontation after the weekend attack in Tehran.
Israel’s war cabinet, some members of which reconvened on Tuesday, is considering how to respond to the large-scale Iranian missile and drone attack. Several options — ranging from diplomacy to an imminent strike — are being considered, according to an Israeli official briefed on the cabinet discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.
Amid concerns about what actions Israel might take, the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss ways to ease tensions. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who met her Jordanian counterpart in Berlin, said she would fly to Israel later Tuesday and discuss with officials “how to prevent further escalation with ever more of violence.”
Baerbock told a news conference that it was essential that “we all work together to contribute to de-escalation across the region.”
As U.S. and European leaders try to find ways to punish Iran for the attack without fueling a broader war in the Middle East, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that he is “conducting a diplomatic offensive” and had written to dozens of governments. demand more sanctions against Tehran. But he said such sanctions should accompany “the military response,” without specifying what that might mean.
The United States is one of several of Israel’s allies who have strongly called for restraint, underscoring the pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces to avoid a more direct confrontation with Iran. On Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that U.S. support for Israel’s defense remained “unwavering” and he “reaffirmed the strategic objective of regional stability”, according to the Pentagon.
Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant met with key members of the war cabinet for security consultations on Tuesday afternoon without most of the observers who usually attend, according to an Israeli official briefed on the meeting and who spoke under the guise of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations. .
Since the Iranian attack, Mr. Netanyahu has not commented publicly on discussions around a response. But on Tuesday he described the war against Hamas, the Iranian-backed Israeli group that Israel is fighting in Gaza, as part of a “broader campaign” that includes the fight against Hezbollah, the powerful militia Lebanese.
“Iran supports Hamas, Hezbollah and others,” he told military recruits. “But we are determined to win there and defend ourselves in all sectors.”
Iranian officials – who said the weekend attack was retaliation for a deadly April 1 strike on an Iranian embassy building in Syria – warned that Iran would respond forcefully to any Israeli attack. Rhetoric from Tehran, which immediately after its attack called the matter with Israel closed, has intensified as Israel weighs its options.
Iranian news media were peppered with strong comments Tuesday from officials, swearing “painful” And “crushing” responses to any Israeli retaliation.
There have also been calls for Iran to avoid any escalation. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa spoke with her Iranian counterpart on Tuesday to urge Tehran to “show restraint,” according to a Japanese government. declarations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with Iran’s foreign minister on Monday, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency. Wang said “Iran can handle the situation well and save the region from further turmoil while maintaining its own sovereignty and dignity.” Xinhua reported.
Christopher F. Schuetze And Aaron Boxerman reports contributed.
