Iran’s foreign minister phones European counterparts after attack on Israel

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had a phone discussion with European colleagues immediately after his country’s missile attack on Israel, state media reported Wednesday.

According to Iranian news agency IRNA, Araghchi spoke with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and colleagues in the UK, France and other countries.

The missile attack on Israel has now been completed; Araghchi was quoted as saying by IRNA.

“But if the Zionist regime takes retaliatory action, our response will be even tougher,” the minister said, referring to possible Israeli retaliation.

He stressed that Iran does not seek an escalation, but does not fear war.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that they fired 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday evening.

The attack was in retaliation for the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general, the powerful elite branch of the Iranian armed forces said.

Initial estimates by the Israeli army put the number of missiles fired at around 180.

Three Israeli air bases and the headquarters of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad were the targets of the attack, according to Iran.