US Ambassador Warns Iran of "Severe Consequences" Over Attacks on Israel and US Personnel

The United States has issued a stern warning to Iran, cautioning of "severe consequences" if it continues to engage in aggressive acts against Israel or US personnel in the Middle East. US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered the warning during an emergency UN Security Council meeting on October 28.

Iran's October 1 attack on Israel with approximately 200 ballistic missiles prompted the meeting. Israel retaliated with strikes on Iranian missile factories and military sites on October 26. Iranian UN Ambassador Amir Saied Iravani accused Washington of being "complicit" through military support for its ally.

Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that the US will not hesitate to act in self-defense and urged Iran to refrain from further escalation. Tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating, with Israel battling Iran-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described Israel's actions as a "miscalculation" but stopped short of calling for retaliation. Instead, Khamenei advised officials to understand Iran's capabilities. Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, warned that Israel will face "bitter consequences" for its actions.

Israel carried out "targeted and precise" retaliatory strikes on Iranian military sites on October 26. The strikes came amid fears of a broader regional war. Iran received warning from Israel ahead of the strikes, the latest in a series of attacks and strikes between Israel and Iran.

Iranian defenses intercepted most of the projectiles fired by Israel on October 26, but four Iranian military officers were killed. Satellite images suggest damage to Iranian military bases linked to its nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.

The Palestinian group Hamas sparked Israel's war in Gaza with a deadly assault on October 7. Israel has also launched an air assault and invasion against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.