Iran 'willing to put every Arab life on the line' as it scrambles to crush Israel
The Islamic Republic is trying to push the West out of the Middle East as "the first step in establishing hegemonic power in the region and destroying Israel", according to a top former US official.
Iran will not hesitate to "expend every Arab life" in its attempts to crush Israel, a former US Security adviser has warned.
HR McMaster held the post between 2017 and 2018 under former President Donald Trump.
He stressed in a chilling warning that the threat of escalation remains high after Israel and Iran exchanged blows last month.
HR McMaster told Sky News: "Iran is pursuing a strategy in which they hope we continue to pretend like we don't understand what the return address is for all this violence.
"And in a horrible, cynical way, Iran is willing to expend every Arab life, if necessary, to accomplish its objectives of pushing the United States, the United Kingdom and our allies out of the region as the first step in establishing hegemonic power in the region and destroying Israel."
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But fears were sent soaring when Iran attacked Israel on April 13, marking its first direct assault on the Jewish state by a foreign power since the 1991 Gulf War.
It launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles launched in an attempt to overpower Israel's air defenses. But it was able to intercept the bulk of the incoming projectiles thanks to help from Jordanian, American and British air defences.
This meant Israeli infrastructure suffered only minor damage.
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Israel responded by raining down drones on Iran near nuclear bases in Isfahan, the Islamic Republic’s third-largest city.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that any further Israeli attack could result in the complete destruction of the "Zionist regime".
He said in a statement: "If the Zionist regime [Israel] or its supporters demonstrate reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response.”
The warning came after Iranian military chief, Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, issued a similar threat.
He told state TV that Israel would be dealt a “much larger” response “if it retaliates against Iran”.
Bagheri added that Iran’s attack “has achieved all its goals, and in our view the operation has ended, and we do not intend to continue”.
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