GPO/Amos Ben Gershom)
Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu did not mince words after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps claimed it would strike Israel if the U.S. responds to an airbase assault on Tuesday night.

By TPS

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened to attack Israel if the US retaliates against its bombing of the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Iraq early on Wednesday in response to the US’ assassination of IRGC General Qassem Soleimani.

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran that “whoever tries to attack us will receive a crushing blow in return” as Tehran threatened to attack Israel if the escalation in the region continued.

Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday in Jerusalem at the Koheket Forum just hours after Iran bombed a US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Iraq in response to the US’ assassination of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Qassem Soleimani.

Soleimani was “responsible for the death of countless innocent people. He destabilized many countries. For decades, he sowed fear and misery and anguish and he was planning much worse,” Netanyahu declared, saying President Donald Trump should “be congratulated for acting swiftly, boldly and resolutely against this terrorist-in-chief who was the architect and driver of Iran’s campaign of carnage and terror throughout the Middle East and throughout the world.

He further noted that the challenges Israel is dealing with “are not lessening – on the contrary. Nevertheless, we stand steadfast against those who seek our lives. We stand determined and strong.”

“Whoever tries to attack us will receive a crushing blow in return,” he said ominously.

Following the Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Iraq on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump tweeted after the attack that “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties and damages taking place now. So far, so good We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!”

The IRGC said in the statement that the attacks came in response to “the criminal and terrorist operation” to kill Soleimani in the form of “tens of surface-to-surface missiles.”

A US military spokesman for Central Command said that 10 missiles hit the Al-Assad Air Base, one missile hit a military base in Erbil and four missiles failed to hit their targets.

The IRGC further warned that a US response will be met “with an even harsher response.”

The IRGC also threatened “US allies that are providing bases to America’s terrorist army that any country serving as the origin of bellicose and aggressive attacks in any form against the Islamic Republic of Iran” will be targeted.

The IRGC also stated that “Iran in no way sees the Zionist regime as separate from the criminal US regime.”

The IDF has been on high alert since Soleimani’s assassination on Friday while the government has remained silent on the developing incidents in an attempt to distance itself from the escalation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday Netanyahu praised Trump for the strike on Soleimani and said that Israel stands with the US in its right to self-defense.

“Just as Israel has the right of self-defense, the United States has exactly the same right. Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people. He was planning more such attacks. President Trump deserves all the credit for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively. Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense,” he stated.