MESOP NEWS : Israel ‘Ready to Attack Iran’

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz has said that his country is ready to attack Iran and that there must be a global response to the threat that the Islamic republic poses. His comments come amid growing tensions following a deadly drone strike on an Israeli-operated tanker off the coast of Oman. Israel, along with the U.S. and the U.K. have blamed Tehran for the attack on the Mercer Street last week that killed two people. Iran has denied involvement.

“Israel is ready to attack Iran, yes,” Gantz told Ynet. “We are at a point where we need to take military action against Iran. The world needs to take action against Iran now,” he added according to a translation of his comments tweeted by Ynet journalist Attila Somfalvi. On Wednesday, Gantz had said that Iran has “violated all of the guidelines” in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which President Joe Biden wants to restore.

What happens now? NATO and the United Nations are still hoping tensions can be de-escalated but analysts say neither Iran nor Israel look likely to back down any time soon