Tehran warns against Israeli counterstrike, threatens US bases if Washington assists

Just hours after the unprecedented Iranian missile and drone attack against Israel, top Iranian military leaders threatened to launch even larger attacks if the Jewish state decides to launch a counterstrike.

“Our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran,” the head of the Iranian military, Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Bagheri warned.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF), the United States and other allies successfully neutralized about 99% of the 300 missiles and drones Tehran fired toward Israel in the early morning hours on Sunday

Bagheri further warned the U.S. that Iran would attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Washington took part in facilitating an Israeli counterstrike on Iranian soil.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a similar threat towards Israel and its allies, primarily the United States.

“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Raisi warned.

In late January, three U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens injured in a drone attack on a U.S. base in Syria that was carried out by an Iranian-backed terror militia. At the time, U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attack and promised retaliation against the perpetrators.

“Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen – and Americans across the country – in grieving the loss of these warriors in this despicable and wholly unjust attack,” the president stated, adding: "Have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.”

In early February, the U.S. Air Force responded by bombing some 85 targets belonging to Iranian-backed terror militias in Syria and Iraq, killing around 40 terrorists.

“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces struck targets in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack U.S. forces,” Biden wrote in a message on 𝕏.

“We do not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But to all those who seek to do us harm: We will respond,” the president pledged.

However, the February strike on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militias did not prevent the regime from launching new attacks across the Middle East.

While Washington, London and other allies supported Israel in thwarting the unprecedented Iranian aggression on Israeli soil, they simultaneously feared that a strong Israeli military response could escalate the conflict with Iran.

Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, however, it was mostly Israel versus Iranian proxies and some IRGC elements. However, Saturday evening marked the first time that the ayatollah regime launched a direct attack from its territory against Israel.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami indicated a shift in strategy when he stated that Saturday's attack has created a "new equation." He warned that Iran would launch similar attacks from its territory in response to any future Israeli military actions that threaten Iranian interests in the Middle East and beyond.

Iran has built a “circle of fire” with terror militias surrounding Israel with terror proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Israel has responded by targeting many of these Iranian-backed terror groups including IRGC officers commanding them.