Israel threatens to counterattack, Iran shuts down nuclear facilities

BBC/Al Jazeera

After Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attacks, the world's eyes are now on Israel. Even if they threaten to retaliate, the question is how they will respond to the attack. In such a situation, Iran has closed its nuclear facilities in fear of an Israeli attack. Again, Israel has started extensive diplomatic activities against Tehran.

Last Saturday night, Israel fired more than three hundred missiles and drones at Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israel claims that most of these missiles and drones have been intercepted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a second meeting of Israel's wartime cabinet on Monday to discuss the next step in the attack.

Sources say Israel's cabinet has reached a consensus on launching a counter-attack on Iran soon. However, there is a division on when and how to attack. Israel's military chief, Herzi Halevi, said only that Iran's massive missile and drone attacks would be retaliated against. However, he did not give any details about this.

It is only natural that an Israeli counter-attack would further destabilize the already troubled Middle East region due to the Gaza conflict. Various countries and international organizations have called on Israel to exercise restraint to avoid such a situation. Keeping this in mind, Israel can also retaliate in a "limited range" according to a report by NBC News. A US official told NBC on condition of anonymity that Israel could attack the country's military and pro-Iranian groups outside Iran's territory.

On April 1, Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Some of Iran's top military officers who were there were killed. Tehran said that the attack was carried out on Saturday in response to that attack. Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi has warned that if Israel counterattacks now, the consequences will not be good. The country's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said that Tehran will not wait 12 days to respond if Israel attacks.

Demand for sanctions on Iran

Israel was recently isolated in the international arena due to the atrocities committed in Gaza by Palestine. Close allies including the United States were also criticizing the country. However, after the attack on Iran, Israel got many allies on its side again. Using this opportunity, they started diplomatic activities against Tehran.

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz has written to 32 countries as part of this initiative. In it, he called for a ban on Iran's missile program. Apart from this, it has been requested that IRGC be labelled as a terrorist organization and banned on various issues.

There were several UN sanctions on Iran's missile program. They are no longer effective since last October. Because they are covered by a new deal on Iran's nuclear program. However, Iran's missile program is on the sanctions list of the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. They are giving new restrictions.

The US has already designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization. But the UK has not taken any such action.

Shut down nuclear facilities

Tehran has temporarily shut down its nuclear facilities for "security reasons" as tensions rise over Iran-Israel retaliation. On the sidelines of the United Nations Security Council meeting, reporters asked Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday, whether there is a risk of an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

In response, the IAEA chief said that there is always concern about such apprehensions. The Iranian government told the IAEA inspectors on Sunday that all of the country's nuclear facilities will be temporarily shut down for security reasons. The facilities were supposed to be opened on Monday. But inspectors will not be sent there until the situation calms down.

The threat of an Israeli attack on a nuclear facility cannot be completely dismissed. In 1981, Israel attacked the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq. At that time, Saddam Hussein was in power in the country. The US opposed the attack, but the Israeli government ignored it. And in 2018, Israel admitted that it had carried out an airstrike on a nuclear reactor in Syria 11 years earlier.

UN experts believe Israel violated international law by attacking the Iranian consulate on April 1. According to a report by an independent expert group commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council, it is illegal to carry out killings on foreign soil outside of international law.

Israel does not appear to have attacked the Iranian consulate on April 1 to protect its security, experts said. Because Israel could not show any evidence that Tehran was going to launch an armed attack on them or send a non-state armed group to attack. He could not even prove that the attack was legally binding. The UN Security Council was not informed before the attack. However, the issues are essential according to Article 51 of the UN Charter.

According to experts, Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the use of military force in another country. However, the Israeli government violated it by attacking the Iranian consulate.