If Iran responds to Israel's 'Days of Repentance' strikes, IDF warns that the attacks will continue.

If Tehran responds to Israel's aerial military strikes in Iran, the Jewish state is prepared to continue its "offense" against the world's worst state-sponsor of terrorism, Iran.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson, stated that if Iran's regime starts a new round of escalation, Israel will be forced to respond. The message is clear: Anyone who threatens Israel and tries to drag the region into a wider escalation will pay a heavy price.

Today, he showed that we possess the ability and determination to take decisive action, and we are ready to do so on both offense and defense, to safeguard Israel and its citizens.

Israel designated its Saturday mission as "Days of Repentance" in response to Iran's attack on the Holy Land with approximately 200 ballistic missiles. Iran claimed that the attack was a retaliation for the IDF's elimination of the Tehran-backed global Hezbollah terrorist, Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut.

The Biden-Harris Administration's pressure on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resulted in Jerusalem limiting its attack on Iran to only military installations, avoiding the destruction of its illicit nuclear weapons sites and oil production enterprises.

Lisa Daftari, an Iran expert and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, noted that Israel chose the least aggressive response against the Islamic Republic by conducting precise strikes on military targets.

According to Daftari, the U.S. may have influenced Israel to adopt a more restrained response to prevent further escalation. While the strikes may have reestablished deterrence, Israel missed an opportunity to target more crucial sites. The timing, target selection, and strike intensity were complicated by a U.S. leak and upcoming elections. Despite these pressures, Israel is prepared to change its approach if Iran decides to escalate further.

On Saturday, Secretary of Defense Austin reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Israel's security and right to self-defense. He spoke with his Israeli counterpart and made it clear that the United States maintains an enhanced force posture to defend U.S. personnel, Israel, and partners across the region in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations. The United States is determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict in the region.

On Friday, a senior U.S. official stated that Israel carried out precision airstrikes against several military targets in Iran and outside populated areas. The official emphasized that the United States had no involvement in the mission and that the "President and his national security team worked with the Israelis to encourage a targeted and proportional response that minimized the risk of civilian harm."

Mardo Soghom, the Chief Editor of Iran International English website, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that "The regime and its media are minimizing the attack's impact. They claim the air defenses are excellent, and the attack was ineffective. The foreign ministry is reserving Iran's right of response."

The foreign ministry's response was characterized by clichéd diplomatic language, and the lack of witnesses to the S-300 air defense system being fired implies that Israel successfully bypassed Iran's Russian-made counter-missile system.

According to Soghom, the Iran expert, the U.S. and Israel have put Iran in a difficult position with their actions. If Iran responds, it could lead to a U.S. response, as the U.S. has warned Iran not to do so.

According to regime-controlled media, two Iranian soldiers, including an officer, were reportedly killed by Israeli counterstrikes. It is uncertain if Tehran will retaliate with new missile attacks against Israel.

An IDF spokesman stated that Israel is always preparing, and the recent news report about preparing for retaliatory Iranian ballistic missile strikes is not unusual.

According to Axios, Israel gave Iran's regime a pre-attack warning. A source informed Axios that the Israelis made it clear to the Iranians what they planned to attack and what they would not attack. The IDF did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment on the report.

Yair Lapid, former Israeli Prime Minister and leader of one of Israel's main opposition parties, criticized the attack on X, stating that it was a missed opportunity. In his post, he wrote, "The decision not to target strategic and economic targets in Iran was a mistake. We should have exacted a heavier price from Iran."

Avigdor Liberman, the former Defense Minister and leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, stated that Israel did not obtain a satisfactory outcome from the Islamic Republic and criticized the government for engaging in "theatrical displays."