The Zionist regime, during the past two years, and in parallel with the expansion of the depth and domain of the regional power of Iran, has resorted to terrorist and counter-security measures such as assassinating Iran’s nuclear and defense scientist (Martyr Fakhrizadeh), sabotaging in Iran’s nuclear facilities and also undermining Iran’s maritime security; such measures are non-ignorable for the Islamic Republic of Iran and Tehran cannot leave them unanswered on the basis of its legitimate right of self-defense. Measures by the Zionist regime have not only breached the “redlines” of Iran through threatening the material and non-material elements of its national security, but also have dragged this regime into a “dangerous and costly game” with irreversible consequences for Tel Aviv regime. There are very important points regarding the dangerous game of the Zionists with the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

First point: What is considered as terrorist and counter-security measures by the Zionist regime against Iran enjoy a theoretical and practical background. This means that in the process of decision making and decision taking, designing and implementing anti-security operations and measures by Tel Aviv against Iran, definitely intelligence-spy services, political circles, think-tanks and players that are considered Iran’s enemy and are Israel’s regional and international partners, have actively and seriously played a role. In other words, the terrorist and counter-security measures of the Zionists against Iran have been certainly undertaken with the knowledge and coordination of the supporters of this regime which need to accept the responsibility of its consequences. It would be naïve to imagine that the Zionist regime has undertaken such destructive measures and activities alone. To demonstrate this, suffice to say that during the past days, signals have been emitted from Tel Aviv and Washington suggesting “cooperation and coordination” between two sides against Iran. It is remarkable to mention here that about two weeks ago, an American official told New York Times that Zionists have targeted an Iranian commercial vessel namely Saviz in the Red Sea in coordination with Washington. This American officials, on condition of anonymity, has emphasized that Zionists waited shortly before the attack on the Iranian vessel so that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier could keep a safe distance from Saviz. According to this information, the Eisenhower aircraft carrier was 200 miles away from the Iranian vessel at the time of the attack!

Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention that regarding the recent sabotage in the Natanz nuclear facility, the operation was undertaken exactly at a time when senior security officials of the US and Israel were conducting their second round of strategic talks on Iran! Jake Sullivan, the current National Security Advisor of the United States and his Zionist counterpart Meir Ben-Shabbat were present in the meeting. More importantly is that after the sabotage in Natanz, Lloyd Austin the US Defense Secretary wrote in a tweet that the White House reiterates its strategic partnership between Israel and the United States. He also praised Netanyahu for his actions against what he called the “destabilizing activities” by Iran. It has been also reported that the Zionists had coordinated the assassination of Martyr Fakhrizadeh, the top Iranian scientist, with the US and Saudi Arabia. This assassination was carried out immediately after the the secret visit by Netanyahu to Saudi Arabia and the Neom meeting there between Netanyahu, former foreign secretary of the US Pompeo and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Second point: As the present and former security and military officials of the Zionist regime had warned, the anti-security and terrorist operations of Israel against Iran at any level are a dangerous game and play. Israel and its regional and international allies are well aware that the Islamic Republic of Iran would not leave these attacks and operations unanswered. They have even received, in many cases, Iran’s “strong security and military responses” and the Zionists are well aware of the quality and quantity of Iran’s response but are unwilling to expose them due to their domestic sensitivities. In fact, Israel, so far, had not dared expose the damages of missiles hitting the Golan Heights in 2018 for their own public opinion—an operation during which penetrating ballistic missiles passed through Israel’s iron dome and targeted its intelligence and spy stations as well as the main eavesdropping centers of the Israeli army and Mossad near the border with Syria, killing tens of senior Israeli intelligence officers.

On the power of Iran, Charles Freilich, former Israeli national security advisor, says in case of conflict with Iran, Israel has no ground for victory. Iran is a regional power and it would be very dangerous to mess with them. I think Iran is our first enemy which is so much powerful, advanced and far away from us that we may not defeat it. We cannot win in confrontation with Iran. We can successfully defend ourselves and sleep tight at night however we cannot defeat Iran.

Yaakov Amidror, a former major general and National Security Advisor of Israel, said recently in a radio interview that Iran has the potential of inflicting a remarkable damage on us. Of course this depends on the level of such a confrontation. Yossi Melman, an Israeli military and security advisor, wrote in his article “How Israel’s bragging forced Iran to target its ships and endanger world shipping” in the Middle East Eye that “by repeatedly attacking Iranian ships at sea and celebrating the news through leaks about it, Israel is playing with fire”.

In conclusion, it should be emphasized that Iran reserves the right to respond and defend itself against any act against its national security by the Zionist regime at any time and with any justification and the Iranian response will be confined by the status of limitations. To respond to the anti-security actions of the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran benefits from a strong and inviolable policy and logic and would reciprocate in the right time and the right place wherever and whenever it deems appropriate. Playing with Iran’s national security, according to “Interest” magazine, can be extremely dangerous for Israel and could endanger its survival—a regime whose National Security Studies Institute (INSS) writes in its latest annual assessment in 2021 that Iran poses the harshest “existential threat” to Israel. The use of the term “existential threat” is well suggestive of the depth of the consequences of Iran’s confrontation with the Zionists.