Global powers urge restraint
\nAt least 12 injured, \u201cminor damage\u201d to Israeli air base; US, UK and allies help Tel Aviv down nearly all attacks from Iran.
\nJERUSALEM
\nIran warned Israel and the United States on Sunday of a much larger response if there is any retaliation for its mass drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight, as Israel said \u201cthe campaign is not over yet\u201d.
\nThe threat of open warfare erupting between the arch Middle East foes and dragging in the United States has put the region on edge as Washington said America did not seek conflict with Iran but would not hesitate to protect its forces and Israel.
\nIran launched the attack over Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders and followed months of clashes between Israel and Iran\u2019s regional allies, triggered by the war in Gaza.
\nHowever, the attack from hundreds of missiles and drones, mostly launched from inside Iran, caused only modest damage in Israel as most were shot down with the help of the US, Britain and Jordan.
\nAn Air Force base in southern Israel was hit, but continued to operate as normal and a 7-year old child was seriously hurt by shrapnel. There were no other reports of serious damage.
\n\u201cWe intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win,\u201d Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media ahead of a planned 1230 GMT meeting of the war cabinet to discuss a response to the attack.
\nIsraeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said despite thwarting the attack, the military campaign was not over and \u201cwe must be prepared for every scenario\u201d.
\nIsrael\u2019s Channel 12 TV cited an unnamed Israeli official overnight as saying there would be a \u201csignificant response\u201d to the attack.
\nIranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said Tehran had informed the United States its attack on Israel would be \u201climited\u201d and for self defence. He said Israel\u2019s neighbours had also been informed of its planned strikes 72-hours in advance.
\nGlobal powers Russia, China, France and Germany as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates urged restraint.
\n\u201cWe will do everything to stop a further escalation,\u201d German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters during a visit to China. \u201cWe can only warn everyone, especially Iran, against continuing this way.\u201d
\nTurkey also warned Iran it did not want further tension in the region.
\nThe Islamic Republic\u2019s mission to the United Nations said its actions were aimed at punishing \u201cIsraeli crimes\u201d, but that it now \u201cdeemed the matter concluded\u201d.
\nIranian army chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that \u201cour response will be much larger than tonight\u2019s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran\u201d and told Washington its bases could also be attacked if it helped Israel retaliate.
\nUS President Joe Biden has pledged \u201cironclad\u201d support for Israel against Iran, but did not announce any military response on Saturday night, saying instead he would coordinate a diplomatic response with other Western leaders.
\nThe UN Security Council was set to meet at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Global powers urge restraint At least 12 injured, \u201cminor damage\u201d to Israeli air base; US, UK and allies help Tel Aviv down nearly all attacks from Iran. JERUSALEM Iran warned Israel and the United States on Sunday of a much larger response if there is any retaliation for its mass drone and missile attack on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":400121,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-400104","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n