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Raisi Threatens to Destroy Haifa, Tel Aviv in Response to ‘Slightest’ Israeli Action

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country’s annual Army Day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2023. (AFP)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country’s annual Army Day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2023. (AFP)
    London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Raisi Threatens to Destroy Haifa, Tel Aviv in Response to ‘Slightest’ Israeli Action

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country’s annual Army Day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2023. (AFP)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country’s annual Army Day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2023. (AFP)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi threatened to wipe out Haifa and Tel Aviv if Israel took “the slightest” move against his country. He also called on foreign forces, especially US troops, to leave the region “urgently.”

His statements came during a ceremony broadcast live on state television to mark Iran’s annual Army Day.

Raisi stressed that his message on Army Day was that of “peace and friendship to the countries of the region, which will be strengthened by those who want to maintain security in the region.”

But he added: “The message of our army and armed forces to foreign powers, especially US troops, is to leave the region as soon as possible… because Iran’s presence… guarantees security while foreign forces threaten it.”

The president was speaking from a main podium overlooking a military parade that included drones and ballistic missiles.

He pledged to increase government support to equip the military, saying: “The government considers itself obligated to ease the concerns of the armed forces.”

He noted that the army has been provided with “advanced” equipment, referring to the recent supply of drones and short-range ballistic missiles after years of superiority for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which possesses modern equipment.

Moreover, Raisi said: “The enemies, especially the Zionist regime, have understood that the smallest action against (Iran) will prompt a harsh response from the armed forces that will lead to the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv.”

His warning coincided statements to the media by IRGC leaders and Iranian military officials about their country’s growing power, armament, and regional role.

The General Coordinator of the Iranian Army, Habibollah Sayyari, said his forces had “new news about the drones,” adding: “We will not use our capabilities against friendly countries and regional states.”

Raisi’s threats to Israel came as the G7 foreign ministers urged Iran on Tuesday to stop nuclear escalation and to fulfill its legal obligations regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“We reiterate our clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon, and urge Iran to cease nuclear escalations. We call on Iran to fulfill its legal obligations and political commitments regarding nuclear non-proliferation without further delay,” a statement by the G7 read.

It added: “We remain deeply concerned about Iran’s unabated escalation of its nuclear program, which has no credible civilian justification and brings it dangerously close to actual weapon-related activities. We recall recent sampling by the IAEA which found particles of uranium highly enriched to 83.7 percent. A diplomatic solution remains our preferred way to resolve international concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program.”

The G7 foreign ministers also expressed concern about Iran’s “continued destabilizing activities, including the transfer of missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related technologies to state and non-state actors and proxy groups in breach of UNSCRs including 2231 and 2216.”

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World

Iran Attacks US Targets Despite Trump Threats

Trump said the US military was prepared to attack Iran 'any time we want'. US NAVY/AFP
Trump said the US military was prepared to attack Iran 'any time we want'. US NAVY/AFP
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Iran Attacks US Targets Despite Trump Threats

Trump said the US military was prepared to attack Iran 'any time we want'. US NAVY/AFP
Trump said the US military was prepared to attack Iran 'any time we want'. US NAVY/AFP

Iran attacked US military bases in Kuwait on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump threatening further strikes in a fresh flare-up six months into the war.

The new clashes, which began with US raids on Sunday, deepen the ongoing impasse in the war, as Iran maintains a stranglehold on the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the US presses its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump said his military was prepared to attack Iran "any time we want" after extensive US bombardment of sites across the country left at least 19 Iranians dead between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tehran has once again retaliated with strikes across the Middle East this week, saying it targeted US bases and forces in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned the United States on Wednesday that Iran had adopted a "new strategy" in the war that "will shatter your foundations".

Iran's pummeling of US military targets across the region came after a US attack that hit a wedding in the country's south, prompting fury from Tehran.

The Iranian Red Crescent said shrapnel from the missile attack in the coastal town of Kuhestak killed four people, including a child, and wounded more than 50.

The US military did not address the attack directly.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Tim Hawkins said "the US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC", referring to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Kuwait's army on Thursday said it was intercepting a missile and drone attack from Iran, with the Iranian army saying it hit "the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait with missiles and drones".

- 'Maximum pressure' -

Kuwait called the attacks "a direct threat to its security and stability, and the safety of its citizens and residents on its territory, and a grave breach of the rules of international law".

Aside from military action, Washington has vowed to choke Iran's economy, threatening to slap sanctions on its trade partners.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright pledged on Wednesday that a US plan for expanded sanctions targeting the Iranian republic's economic partners would deliver "absolutely maximum pressure".

Trump also suggested on Wednesday renaming the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping lane that Tehran has effectively shut for six months, as "Trump Strait" -- although he implied later that he wasn't serious.

"Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???" the US president wrote on Truth Social.

- 'Acts like Satan' -

Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf lashed out at Washington over the wedding attack, calling the United States "Satan".

"If a power acts like Satan, picks targets like Satan, and kills like Satan, it's Satan," he posted on X.

Iranians meanwhile expressed dismay over the return to hostilities.

Hossein Moazami, 50, who is self-employed, called the attacks "truly distressing".

"I hope they all return to the negotiating table because the only people suffering from this are the Iranian people," he said. "The Americans are on the other side of the world and nothing happens to them."

A video shared by an Iranian government account showed debris and damage at what it said was the wedding site in Kuhestak following the US strike, with people heard screaming in the background.

"It is a very saddening incident," Ali Mallahi, father of the bride and owner of the building that was hit, said in a video carried by state TV.

"Thank God the casualties were not higher."

The war erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran that killed its supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

A fragile ceasefire collapsed in July after attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of world oil supplies previously flowed.

Israel's defense minister meanwhile said his country was prepared to respond "with great force" if attacked by Iran over the Jewish high holiday season, which begins in mid-September.

"For now, they are striking throughout the region except us," Israel Katz said.

World

Türkiye Detains Nine Tanker Crew after Collision

FILE - People sit in front of cargo ships anchor in the Marmara Sea await to cross the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - People sit in front of cargo ships anchor in the Marmara Sea await to cross the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
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Türkiye Detains Nine Tanker Crew after Collision

FILE - People sit in front of cargo ships anchor in the Marmara Sea await to cross the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - People sit in front of cargo ships anchor in the Marmara Sea await to cross the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

Turkish authorities have detained nine of the 10 crew of an oil tanker after it collided with a cargo ship that sank off Istanbul, state media reported Thursday.

The ALSU, an empty oil tanker, collided early on Wednesday with the Tugberk Imamoglu, a cargo vessel carrying rolled steel, 18 nautical miles off Silivri district on the western edge of Istanbul province, said AFP.

Officials said the damaged cargo ship sank "very quickly" in about 900 meters (3,000 feet) of sea, with all 10 crew members missing.

The ALSU was not damaged in the collision, the cause of which was not immediately clear.

Anadolu news agency said nine crew members on the ALSU, excluding the cook, had been detained and had given statements to the police.

Search and rescue operations continued with 18 vessels, five helicopters, two unmanned aerial vehicles and an aircraft involved alongside an a navy vessel conducting underwater searches.

The Tugberk Imamoglu is a 90-meter (300-foot) Turkish-flagged cargo ship built in 1990, according to the VesselFinder tracking website.

Authorities said it was carrying 4,200 tons of rolled steel sheets and reinforcing bars at the time of the collision.

The maritime directorate initially said the ALSU was carrying 3,000 tons of motor oil, but later said the tanker was empty, a detail confirmed by the Istanbul governor's office.

World

With His Eye on Reelection, Israel's Netanyahu Turns His Focus to His Divided Base

(FILES) Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Israeli Parliament at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 16, 2026, before the start of the election recess ahead of the October 27 general election. (Photo by ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
(FILES) Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Israeli Parliament at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 16, 2026, before the start of the election recess ahead of the October 27 general election. (Photo by ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
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With His Eye on Reelection, Israel's Netanyahu Turns His Focus to His Divided Base

(FILES) Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Israeli Parliament at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 16, 2026, before the start of the election recess ahead of the October 27 general election. (Photo by ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
(FILES) Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Israeli Parliament at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 16, 2026, before the start of the election recess ahead of the October 27 general election. (Photo by ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks reelection, his main concern these days isn’t his political rivals. It’s some of his biggest supporters.

A series of small, pro-Netanyahu parties are competing in the run-up to the Oct. 27 vote. But instead of strengthening the Israeli leader, these parties — including hard-line blocs led by polarizing Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich — risk weakening his chances for reelection by splitting the vote among Netanyahu’s base, The Associated Press said.

The election is largely a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly uninterrupted 17-year rule and his handling of a turbulent period marked by mass protests, Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and nearly three years of war. A victory would mark a stirring comeback for the embattled leader, while a loss would likely end the reign of a man who has shaped Israeli politics for three decades.

With his legacy on the line, Netanyahu is imploring his erstwhile allies to unite into larger parties that have a better chance of entering parliament.

“When we unite, we win. When we split up, we lose,” Netanyahu told Channel 14, a TV station that serves as an unofficial mouthpiece for the prime minister.

Here’s a closer look at Netanyahu's situation:

Forming a government is tricky

Israeli voters choose between political parties, not individual candidates.

Parties that receive the most votes secure the most seats in the 120-member parliament. But any party that can muster just 3.25% of the vote wins representation. That means that more than a dozen parties can be part of any given parliament.

No single party has ever captured the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. Instead, a party leader — usually the head of the largest party — forms a coalition with smaller partners to secure a 61-seat majority.

Netanyahu currently heads a coalition of religious and ultranationalist parties.

The outgoing coalition faces an uphill battle

Opinion polls have indicated that Netanyahu and members of his outgoing coalition are facing broad public unhappiness as they seek reelection.

The government’s popularity has suffered following the Hamas attacks — the deadliest in Israel’s history — and the subsequent, inconclusive wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Now Netanyahu’s prospects could be further weakened by divisions in his hard-line base.

Two parties that ran together in the 2022 elections — Smotrich's Religious Zionism and Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power — have so far rejected Netanyahu’s calls to merge again due to rocky relations between the two men.

At the same time, smaller parties led by former members of Netanyahu’s Likud party and another list formed by a hard-line retired military general find themselves competing for the same voters. These parties are differentiated more by the personalities of their leaders than their ideologies.

Falling short of the threshold could be devastating for Netanyahu

If any of these smaller parties fail to enter parliament, their votes would be lost and Netanyahu’s reelection prospects dimmed. The failure of small parties to cross the threshold contributed to Netanyahu’s defeat in a 2021 election, while rivalries among his opponents led to Netanyahu’s return to power in 2022.

For this reason, Netanyahu has been urging his ideological brethren to join together into larger blocs. That would require some individual sacrifices but improve their chances of crossing the threshold and being part of another Netanyahu-led government. In a small boost for Netanyahu, one of the small parties agreed Wednesday to be folded into Smotrich's list.

The parties have until Sept. 8 to consolidate, pull out of the race or continue on their own. Their decision could seal his fate.

With time running out, Netanyahu has been stepping up his calls with increasingly alarmist language.

In his Channel 14 interview, he told a cheering studio audience that only he could defeat Hamas and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. He warned that victory by his opponents, whom he derisively calls “the left,” would be disastrous for the country.

“The left is ready,” he said. “If we don’t unite, we will lose.”