‘Prepare for dire consequences’

AFP | Jerusalem

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Israel warned yesterday that Iran would suffer the “consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further” as fears grew of wider conflict more than six months into Israel’s war against Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip.

The strong warning came after Iran seized a container ship linked to Israel in the Gulf, and the United States announced it was sending more troops to the troubled region.

Not long after the seizure was announced, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that “Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further”.

The White House has repeatedly warned Tehran against carrying out a potentially imminent attack on Israel in response to an air strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus earlier this month.

Tehran has vowed to avenge the April 1 strike - which killed 16 people, including two Iranian generals, and has been widely blamed on Israel - but has not specified how.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a container ship “related” to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, which was now heading towards Iranian waters, state media reported.

The ship’s operator, the Italian-Swiss group MSC, said it was working with the relevant authorities to ensure the wellbeing of the 25 crew onboard.