Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned UN chief Antonio Guterres that Tehran is ready for a “decisive and regretful” response if Israel attacks his country in retaliation to the almost 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last week that Israel “will soon respond” to the missile attack, vowing it will be “precise and deadly.”
Iran’s atomic energy agency spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Wednesday that the probability of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites was “low” but any potential damage would be “quickly compensated,” according to Nournews.
“Iran, while making all-out efforts to protect the peace and security of the region, is fully prepared for a decisive and regretful response to any adventures” by Israel, Iran’s foreign minister said during a phone call with Guterres, according to a statement from his office on Wednesday.
During the call on Tuesday evening, Araghchi also appealed to the United Nations to use its resources “to stop the crimes and aggressions of the Israeli regime and to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Gaza.”
Iran’s top diplomat also spoke on the phone with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday, his office said.
In the call, Araghchi stressed the need to stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon, warned against any “new adventures” and called for the removal of Israeli “obstacles” impeding the delivery of aid to displaced people.
It followed a phone conversation on Sunday between the two countries’ presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Masoud Pezeshkian.
Over the past week, Araghchi has visited Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Oman in an effort to ease tensions.
Araghchi arrived in Jordan on Wednesday before traveling to Egypt and Turkey, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a post on social media platform X.
According to reports on Tuesday, Israel has decided on the targets it could potentially strike in Iran.
According to Channel 12 news, the military presented a list of targets to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant as it finalizes preparations, which include “sensitive coordination” with other countries in the region.
A report by the Kan public broadcaster said “the political echelon” had decided on the targets, without specifying which officials or decision-making forum.
“The targets are clear. Now it’s a matter of time,” an Israeli source told the broadcaster.
The report also said that Israel had described its general attack plans to the US but had yet to give an update on specific targets, while quoting a source familiar with the matter acknowledging “the targets could also change at the 11th hour.”
Washington has sought to temper Jerusalem’s plans to retaliate for the October 1 attack — which forced most of the country to rush to bomb shelters and safe rooms, and killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank — fearing that the escalating tit-for-tats could spark a wider war drawing in others in the region. The attack caused damage in Israel, including in Israeli airbases, though the military has said that no aircraft or critical infrastructure were hit, and the Israeli Air Force was operating at full capacity.