Israel-Iran hostilities: Israel to will respond ‘when time is right’; US says it will not take part in retaliation

Iran attacks Israel: The Israeli government is reportedly weighing in on its possible responses to Iran’s attack on early Sunday. Meanwhile, the US has said that it will not take part in any Israeli retaliation. 

Centralist Israeli minister Benny Gantz said that Israel would exact the price “when the time is right”, according to a report in BBC. Israel’s five-member war cabinet, including Gantz, met on Sunday to discuss a possible reaction, but no decision was made. 

Meanwhile, Washington emphasised its desire to avoid escalation, as President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran. 

Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood called on the UN Security Council to unequivocally condemn Iran’s attack. He said Washington would explore additional, unspecified measures at the UN to hold Iran accountable, as well as warned against further aggression. "Let me be clear: if Iran or its proxies take actions against the United States or further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible," he said.

UNSC Antonio Guterres told the Security Council meeting that now is the time to defuse and de-escalate. India, too, has called for the de-escalation of the conflict, and urged both Iran and Israel to engage in dialogues. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to both his Iranian and Israeli counterparts and urged them to descalate, and also that India would remain in touch. 

Iran launched an attack early Sunday on Israel, over a suspected Israeli attack on its embassy compound in Syria's Damascus on April 1 that killed top Revolutionary Guards commanders. More than 300 missiles and drones were shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system and with the help from the US, Britain, France and Jordan.