Ehud Olmert's Assessment of Ali Khamenei's Promise of 'Severe Punishment' for Israel

While senior Iranian officials have pointed fingers at Israel regarding the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, and have spoken of punishing this country, Ehud Olmert, former Prime Minister of Israel, says that a potential retaliatory attack from the Islamic Republic will not harm Israel. In an exclusive interview with Radio Farda, Olmert commented on Khamenei's promise of 'severe punishment' and other threats from Iranian officials regarding 'blood vengeance and revenge,' stating that if Tehran seeks to arrange an operation similar to the missile and drone attack on April 14 this year against Israel, it will regret it. He noted that Iranian officials should learn from that operation that even if they launch hundreds of missiles or drones at us, it will not harm us. The former Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that his message to Iranian leaders is to 'stay calm and think again before taking any action.' He also pointed out that the important aspect regarding the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh is the 'calculations and assumptions' of Iranian officials, adding, 'They say that we were involved in this operation, so whether we actually did it or not becomes less significant. This belief [among Iranian officials that Israel is responsible] will lead to their actions.' Olmert clarified that Israel's refusal to accept responsibility for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh somewhat reduces the intensity of Iran's retaliatory measures. As in past cases, Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh up to this point. However, if it were accepted that Israel conducted such an operation in the capital of Iran, the difference from over nine months of war in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, is noteworthy. Olmert believes that the different conditions of the two operational areas have led to different results. He explained, 'Hamas leaders in Gaza are hiding in tunnels. They do not come out at all. When one of them, namely Mohammed Deif, came out of the tunnel, he was immediately targeted.' Olmert's reference is to Israel's claim regarding the killing of Mohammed Deif, the military commander of Hamas, who is said to be the architect of the massacre last October, although the extremist group Hamas claims he is still alive. Israeli officials, especially Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly stated that 'the head of the snake is in Tehran' and have identified Iran as the main responsible party for the actions of proxy groups in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. Regarding why Israel has not targeted the leaders of the Islamic Republic in operations like that against Ismail Haniyeh, he said, 'Even if we did such a thing, I think we should not accept responsibility for it.' He noted that for the past two decades, Israel has not accepted responsibility for the deaths of Iranian military and civilian individuals, adding, 'Having and using this exceptional capability that Israel possesses is one thing, and talking about it is another. You should not say everything you have out loud.'