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Israel alludes to possible attacks vs IRGC targets in Iraq and Iran

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stressed that Israel would “contend with any Iranian threat, doesn’t matter from where it comes,” signaling to the possibility of Israeli attacks of Iranian targets beyond Syria, including in Iraq and the Islamic Republic’s territory itself. “And we are certainly monitoring everything that is happening in Syria, and regarding Iranian threats we are not limiting ourselves just to Syrian territory. This also needs to be clear, we will not limit ourselves. (Q: Which means what? Iraq and Teheran as well?) I am saying that we will contend with any Iranian threat, and it doesn’t matter from where it comes (Q: Israel’s freedom of action has not been harmed?) Israel’s freedom is total. We retain this freedom of action,” Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.

 

The vague threat by the top Israeli defense official came a week after a report published by the Reuters News Agency, which revealed that the Islamic republic had transferred advanced ballistic missiles to its Shi’ite proxies in Iraq, with the aim of boosting Tehran’s deterrence against its regional enemies, including Israel and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, citing Iranian, Iraqi and Western intelligence sources, the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guards is developing the capacity to build additional ballistic missiles on Iraqi soil, to avoid international attempts to thwart the smuggling of advanced-weaponry to its regional proxies. In response to the Israeli threat, however, an official in the Iraqi Defense Ministry told a Russian news outlet that his country’s sovereignty was a red line.