Tensions between two bitter rivals, Iran and Israel, soared as Iran asked the United States to “step aside” and not interfere as it readies to respond to an alleged Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria, even as the country’s proxy in the Middle East, Hezbollah, warned it was ready for war against Israel.
Issuing a warning in a written message to Washington, Iran "warned the US not to get dragged into Netanyahu's trap."
"Step aside so that you don't get hit," Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, wrote on X.
The US asked Iran not to hit American targets, Jamshidi claimed in a statement, even as reports suggest that the former is on high alert. US media sources also say President Joe Biden's administration is concerned about strikes taking place within Israel, especially targeting "military or intelligence targets, rather than civilians."
However, it’s not known if Iran is planning a direct strike on Israel or will act through one of its proxy groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israeli air strike targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing at least seven Iranians, including two generals.
While Israel has routinely targeted Iran-linked assets in Syria in recent months, this was the first strike on an Iranian diplomatic building. On Thursday, its military jumbled navigational signals above Tel Aviv in an attempt to disable GPS-navigated drones or missiles aimed towards the nation.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, meanwhile, indicated on Friday that Iran would respond. But, he stated, his organisation will not "interfere in such decisions."
"And then, depending on how Israel behaves, the region will enter a new phase," Nasrallah said in a televised speech.
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