Israel Vows Retaliation If Iran Attacks, After Tehran’s Supreme Leader Warns It ‘Must Be Punished’

‘If Iran attacks from its own territory, Israel will react and attack in Iran,’ Israel’s foreign minister said.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, on Dec. 18, 2023. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images

Israel has promised to retaliate if attacked by Iran, following a warning from Tehran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that it “must be punished” for an airstrike in Syria attributed to Israeli forces earlier this month.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued the warning on April 10 while visiting troops at an Iron Dome battery in northern Israel.