Pentagon Spokesperson: There is a Possibility of Iran Responding to Israel

Lieutenant General Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesperson, confirmed in a recent briefing that the possibility of Iran responding to Israel exists and that this matter is being monitored, hence all parties should be prepared for any situation. Speaking on Tuesday, November 8, he added that the U.S. remains committed to defending Israel. Ryder refrained from providing further details and only referenced statements from Iranian officials, noting that everyone is aware of the existing tensions in the Middle East. He emphasized support for Israel and the protection of American forces against potential Iranian attacks. Israel reported on Saturday, November 5, three waves of retaliatory strikes against Iran, stating that these 'precise attacks' targeted military positions. These attacks were in response to Iran's missile strike on October 2 against Israeli territory. The day after Israel's airstrike, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that the impact of this attack should not be 'downplayed' or 'exaggerated' and called for government officials to demonstrate the capabilities of the Islamic Republic to Israel, without elaborating on how this should be done. He did not provide a specific agenda and simply added that 'the quality of the work should be recognized by our officials, and they should understand what is in the best interest of this country and this nation.' On the other hand, Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that Israel's airstrike on Iranian military positions would 'certainly have bitter consequences' that would be 'unimaginable.' In response to these remarks, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army warned on Tuesday, November 8, that if Iran launches ballistic missiles at Israel again, the Israeli army will attack new locations in Iran using 'capabilities that were not employed in last week's attacks.' Herzi Halevi told aircrew at Ramon Air Base in southern Israel: 'If Iran makes this mistake and attacks Israel again with a wave of missiles, we know how to access Iran again, even with capabilities that we did not use this time, and we will strike very hard at the capabilities and locations that we did not attack this time.' Halevi further clarified: 'We did this for a very simple reason, because it may be necessary to do this again. We have not finished this 'prelude' and we are still in the midst of it.' Israel is 'preparing for another attack on Iran.' Channel 13 of Israeli television reported on Monday evening that the country is preparing for 'another attack on Iran' following a drone attack on the personal residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to this report, ministers were 'clearly' informed during a Sunday night cabinet meeting that the 'Days of Response' operation on November 5 was a reaction to Iran's missile attack against the people of Israel on October 2, and another operation will be conducted in response to the attempt to target the Prime Minister's residence. The Sunday night cabinet meeting was held to discuss the effects of Israel's operations against Iran. The report indicated that ministers and security officials proposed various suggestions for how to respond to the drone attack on Netanyahu's personal residence, with details of these discussions being prohibited from media coverage in Israel. In this context, the country's security establishment is expected to soon present its proposals to the cabinet for final approval. The missile base of the Revolutionary Guards in Shahroud has reportedly suffered 'serious damage' due to the Israeli attack. However, the network stated that the type of response will differ from the 'Days of Response' operations. Netanyahu's personal residence in the coastal city of Qisaria was targeted in a drone attack on October 20, during which he and his wife were not at home. The U.S. has stated that a third Iranian attack on Israel will have 'severe consequences.' The U.S. representative to the United Nations threatened the Islamic Republic with 'severe consequences' if it conducts another attack on Israel during a Security Council meeting regarding Israel's recent attack on Iran. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, stated that if Iran takes further aggressive actions against Israel or U.S. personnel in the region, it will face severe consequences. She emphasized that her country will not exercise restraint in self-defense. The U.S. representative at the UN said that the U.S. does not want to see further tensions and 'we believe this should mark the end of direct fire exchanges between Israel and Iran.' The Security Council meeting was held following the Islamic Republic's request for an emergency session regarding Israel's recent attacks on military targets in Iran. Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in an interview with the Financial Times that Iran is 'ready' to cooperate with Western countries. Velayati, a former foreign minister and close associate of Khamenei, said that the Islamic Republic is reviewing its foreign policy and seeks to establish better relations with European countries. In this interview published on Monday, November 7, he also accused Israel of creating instability and criticized U.S. support for Israel. He claimed that the Islamic Republic has 'not initiated war' but added that 'it will respond to any aggression with a regrettable reaction.'