An Iranian security source told Reuters that “the response to the Israeli attack will be harsh and decisive”, adding that details of Iran’s retaliation “are being discussed at the highest levels” when asked whether the attack would be imminent.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency is also quoting an anonymous official as saying saying that Iran will offer a “decisive” response to Israel’s attack.
The report did not elaborate. However, Iranian state television put a black band over the corner of its broadcast, suggesting the attack had been significant enough to spark public mourning.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand’s governments have condemned the Israeli strikes.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she was “alarmed by the escalation” between Israel and Iran, which she said risked further destabilising an already volatile region.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the strikes were “a huge concern” for his government and “potentially catastrophic” for the Middle East. “The risk of miscalculation is high,” he said.
The two countries were among five that enacted travel and financial sanctions on two far-right Israeli government ministers on Wednesday, accusing them of “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (Reuters/AP)
