'Attack of unprecedented force': Netanyahu's warning to Iran amid protests

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns Iran of a strong response if attacked, as protests and US military moves from Tehran and Washington raise regional tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a strong warning to Iran, saying Israel would respond with an “attack of unprecedented force” if Tehran were to strike. Speaking in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Netanyahu said his government was closely watching developments in Iran amid rising regional tensions.

 

“If it makes a mistake and attacks us, we will act with a force it has not yet experienced,” Netanyahu said, according to a report by news agency Xinhua.

 

He added that Israel was “closely” monitoring Iran as the country returned to a fragile calm following weeks of unrest. Netanyahu warned that Iran’s future remained uncertain, saying that “no one can predict what the future holds for Iran, but it will not return to what it once was”.

 

 

Netanyahu’s remarks came amid reports that the United States was deploying the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to West Asia. The move follows a standoff between Washington and Iran over Tehran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests, raising concerns of further escalation in the region.

 

Deadly crackdown on protests in Iran

 

Iran has witnessed widespread protests since December 28. Activists say at least 4,029 people have been killed during the crackdown on demonstrators across the country.

 

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that more than 26,000 people have been detained. According to the group, 3,786 of those killed were protesters, while 180 were security personnel. The dead also included 28 children and 35 people who were not taking part in demonstrations.   

 

Iran warns against any attack on Khamenei

 

Amid growing tensions with the United States, Iran has warned that any move against its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would amount to an act of war.

 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued the warning on Sunday, stating that an attack on Khamenei would be treated as an attack on the entire nation. In a post on X, he said, “An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation.”

 

Pezeshkian added that Iran does not separate the safety of its leader from the country’s sovereignty.

 

Pezeshkian also blamed the US for Iran’s worsening economic conditions, which he said had fuelled public anger and protests. He said US sanctions were a key reason for rising prices, unemployment, and a weakening currency. “If there are hardships in the lives of the dear people of Iran, one of the main causes is the longstanding hostility and inhumane sanctions imposed by the US government and its allies,” he said.

 

Trump’s remarks trigger sharp responses

 

The warnings from Tehran followed comments by Donald Trump in an interview with Politico, where he openly called for an end to Khamenei’s nearly 40-year rule. Trump described the Iranian leader as “a sick man” and accused him of killing his own people.

 

In response, Khamenei strongly criticised Trump, calling him a “criminal”. In a speech aired on state television, the Iranian leader blamed protesters for thousands of deaths, marking the first public acknowledgement by an Iranian leader of the scale of casualties. “In this revolt, the US president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead and said: 'We do support you, we do support you militarily',” said Khamenei.

 

He also repeated claims that the United States was seeking control over Iran’s political system and economic resources, accusing Washington of using unrest to weaken the country.

 

Trump urges protests, US pulls back from strikes

 

Last week, Trump publicly urged Iranians to continue protesting. He called on them to “take over your institutions” and said, “Help is on its way.”

 

These remarks came as reports suggested the US was close to ordering military strikes against Iran. According to reports, Washington came close to launching attacks on Wednesday but stepped back at the last moment.

 

Axios reported that Netanyahu warned Trump that Israel was not prepared for Iranian retaliation and questioned whether US strikes would be effective. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also advised caution, warning that military action could further destabilise the region.

 

Trump later claimed that Iranian authorities had stopped the planned execution of hundreds of prisoners, including Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protester sentenced to death.

 

Soltani was arrested in Karaj after participating in demonstrations. His family confirmed over the weekend that he was alive but said he had been tortured and denied medical treatment.

 

(With agency inputs)