Israel’s prime minister defended a U.S. decision to launch an air strike on Friday that killed powerful Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and the Israeli military was put on high alert, after Iran threatened revenge, Reuters reported.
Senior defense officials in Israel, America’s closest ally in the Middle East and Iran’s top regional foe, also met to assess the situation after the killing of Quds Force chief Soleimani and an Iraqi militia commander in the strike.
“Just as Israel has the right of self-defense, the United States has exactly the same right,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.
“Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people. He was planning more such attacks,” he said, speaking at an airport in Greece before heading back to Israel after cutting short his trip.
Israel’s Army Radio said the military was on a heightened alert, and officials said Defense Minister Naftali Bennett met military and intelligence chiefs for a “situational assessment”.
Israel has long regarded Soleimani as a major threat. The military said in August it had foiled a Quds Force attack, masterminded by Soleimani that involved multiple drones operating from Syria.
Netanyahu said in his statement on Soleimani’s killing that U.S. President Donald Trump “deserves all the credit for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively. Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense.”
Israel has also accused Soleimani of leading Quds Force efforts to establish a precision-guided missiles program for Hezbollah, the Lebanese movement that is backed by Tehran.
Israel is concerned about retaliation from Iran’s proxies and allies in the region, such as Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
Yair Lapid, an Israeli opposition lawmaker, ...
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