New Delhi:
Israel wants peace in the region but is not prepared to be attacked directly or indirectly by Iran, said Reuven Azar, the country’s ambassador to India.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Saturday, Azar said this was one of the signals Iran wanted to send by attacking Iran earlier in the day, and the other message was that if Iran attacked Iran, He said it means it has the ability to strike even more targets in Iran. Choose to escalate.
“What Israel did was a very precise attack that destroyed Iran’s air defense systems and targeted military facilities related to its missile and drone programs. The signal here is very clear. Israel… “We will not agree to continue to be subject to drone attacks from Iran, either directly or indirectly,” the ambassador said, alluding to Iranian proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah with whom Israel already has a conflict.
Iran had previously fired 200 ballistic missiles at Israeli targets on October 1.
Azar said Israel was not worried about comments from the Tehran regime that claimed Iran was now exposed and warned of a “proportionate response” to Israeli attacks.
“We are ready for that. We are fully aligned with our allies, especially the United States, and the United States fully supports our moves. “It is clear that Israel could have done so, but it chose to limit its response.” “We want to continue to focus on bringing them back and making sure that Hamas does not rearm.”
In the north, where Israel borders Lebanon, the aim is to resettle Israeli communities in areas displaced by Hezbollah attacks, the ambassador said.
“We are also active there and have eradicated the military infrastructure that Hezbollah has built there over decades, and we do not agree that Iran would intervene in that and try to attack Israel. If they continue to do so, Israel will feel free to attack.”They should act more decisively.”
“I’ll pay the price.”
Asked if Israel was locked in a never-ending war, Azar said that while it may seem that way, Israel is defending itself and that Hamas is no longer in control with its missiles and leadership. He said that he was creating a situation in which he could not attack. Hezbollah has been eliminated – and now Iran must “accept a new reality”.
“If they do not accept the new reality and come to the table to create a more stable situation in our region, they will pay the price,” he said.
The ambassador said diplomatic channels are always available and insisted that Israel did not start the war that began after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
“We want to restore peace to the region. We are ready for diplomacy, but it must be based on the understanding on the other side that Israel will not tolerate it.” We will not rest until our safety is absolutely guaranteed.” We will maintain our right to self-defense against any future aggression.”
“It’s good to be downplayed.”
Regarding Iran’s claims that the damage caused by the Israeli attack was limited and that its defense systems worked, Azar said this could be a sign that Iran is not interested in continuing attacks. He said he was satisfied that Iran was “downplaying” the attack.
“Anyone who knows anything about military capabilities knows that Iran’s S-300s (air defense systems) are not capable of interdicting Israeli Defense Force (IDF) F-35s or F-16s, nor are they capable of interdicting them. They can keep saying what they want because our pilots can’t attack the target they want, but the situation is very clear and the message is very clear. “It has been reported,” he said.
