Iran and Israel warn of continued retaliation

The Iranian leader made the remarks a day after the country fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the attack was in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July. Speaking to Iranian state television at the start of a trip to Qatar, Pezeshkian said that in addition to discussing bilateral relations with Qatar, he would also attend the Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit, where he would discuss how Asian countries can prevent Israel from escalating tensions in the region, which have further destabilized the Middle East.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi also held phone calls to discuss his country's missile attack on Israel on October 1 with his British, French and Dutch counterparts. In phone calls with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, ​​Mr. Araghchi stated that his country has been restrained for months since the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, as well as Israel's expansion of the conflict into Lebanon. Mr. Abbas Araghchi affirmed that Iran only targeted Israeli military and security bases and said that Iran's operations had ended, but if Israel "tries to take any retaliatory action, Iran will react more severely."

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned that Israel would respond to Iran after the missile attack. Speaking while visiting the command and control center that monitors Iran's missile interception, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also said that the country would take corresponding actions in response to Iran.

Regarding the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, on October 2, Israel continued to intensify the war with Hezbollah by sending troops across the border into Lebanon. The Lebanese army said that the Israeli army had made a lightning incursion into the south of the country. According to the Lebanese side, Israeli forces violated the Green Line separating Lebanon and Israel, about 400 meters on the Lebanese side in two areas before withdrawing.

In light of new developments in the Middle East, on October 2, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for Israel while US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Iran's missile launch at Israel was an "act of excessive aggression".

Meanwhile, the European Union's (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Middle East, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz continued to express concern that the attack would escalate tensions.

In a press release on the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to end its military operations in Lebanon and expressed his hope that Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be restored in strict compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. President Macron affirmed France's commitment to UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), adding that France would soon host a conference in support of the Lebanese people. He also reiterated his determination to reach a lasting solution that would ensure the security of people on both sides of the Green Line and called on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint.

On October 2, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that he would chair an online conference of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) developed countries to discuss the crisis in the Middle East. Italy, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7, affirmed that it would continue to seek a diplomatic solution.

For its part, China has called on world powers to find ways to prevent further escalation of tensions in the Middle East. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that China calls on the international community, especially influential powers, to make practical and constructive contributions to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

From Russia, the Kremlin expressed concern that the situation in the Middle East is developing according to the "most alarming scenario" and called on all parties to exercise restraint. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia maintains contact with all parties in the region and condemns any actions that cause civilian casualties.

Saudi Arabia hopes the situation will cool down and the parties will engage in dialogue. Speaking at the conference in Berlin, Economy Minister Faisal al-Ibrahim said dialogue is necessary and unavoidable in the current tense situation, calling for global and regional cooperation to address these challenges.