Israel taking defensive and offensive actions against Iran

(Patria) - Israel yesterday prepared for the possibility of a retaliatory attack after suspicions that it killed Iranian generals in Damascus this week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country will inflict damage "on those who harm us or plan to harm us," Reuters reported.

His comments came after the Israeli armed forces announced they were suspending leave for all combat units, a day after they said they were mobilizing more soldiers for air defense units.

The possibility that Iran will retaliate for the alleged Israeli airstrike on Monday on the complex of the Iranian embassy in Damascus has raised the specter of a wider war, although two Iranian sources said Tehran's response would be calibrated to avoid escalation.

- For years, Iran has been acting against us both directly and through its proxies. Therefore, Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, defensively and offensively.

We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act according to a simple principle - whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them - Netanyahu said at the beginning of a security cabinet meeting late last night.

The White House announced that US President Joe Biden discussed Iran's threats with Netanyahu.

Biden made it clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in facing this threat, Washington said.