We want to de-escalate but when Iran does this…: Israeli envoy after air strikes

Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, strongly condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel, calling it an “unprecedented” move in the history of warfare. Azar warned that Iran would pay the price for its “serious mistake”.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Azar emphasised that while Israel seeks peace and stability, it cannot remain passive in the face of aggression. “As much as we want to de-escalate, at the end of the day when countries like Iran continue to do things that are unprecedented in the history of humankind, then you cannot remain silent.”
He revealed that Iran launched 181 ballistic missiles, each with a payload of between 700-1,000 kilograms of explosives, capable of massive destruction.
“What Iran did is that it fired a barrage, unprecedented in the history of humankind, of 181 ballistic missiles… capable of destroying an entire building, of destroying many lives,” said Azar, underscoring the severity of the attack.
Azar credited Israel’s missile defense system and its international partners, particularly the United States and neighbouring Arab countries, for successfully thwarting the attack. “We had some missiles hitting open areas, but thank God we are safe. Israel has the best missile defence system in the world,” he added.
When asked about Iran’s claims of damaging Israeli air bases, Azar dismissed the allegations, noting that the missiles which did hit Israel struck non-critical areas. “The IDF spokesman, who is generally a very credible person, has reported exactly what happened. We didn’t intercept those which wouldn’t hurt essential places or civilians… We just don’t intercept because it’s not worthwhile,” he explained.
Azar further criticised Iran’s use of its resources for military purposes, saying, “Iran prepared all this machinery of war, spent billions of dollars on the account of the oppressed Iranian people that do not have water… Instead, they are investing to create terror armies to choke the state of Israel.”
Discussing the broader conflict, Azar stated that Iran’s proxies in the region, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, have faced major defeats, and now, Iran is directly involved.
“Iran has made a very serious mistake… Nasrallah is dead… they are left without their biggest proxies and they decided to continue the fight directly against Israel, and they will pay a price,” he warned.