US convenes international community against Iran's threat to Israel

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called his Chinese, Turkish, Saudi and European counterparts in an attempt to prevent an Iranian attack on Israel. Iran threatens retaliation for an Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria.

Blinken emphasized in the talks that "escalation is in no one's interest" and that countries must use their influence to prevent Iran from escalating the situation, a ministry spokesman said. The spokesman also said that Blinken had called his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to let him know that the United States is supporting Israel after the threats.

According to the spokesperson, the United States is still concerned about possible escalation in the region. Tensions have risen after Israel carried out an attack on the grounds of the Iranian embassy in Damascus early this month. The consulate was destroyed. Seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed, including two generals. Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader, said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and will be punished."

Israel warns that a direct attack by Iran on Israel will lead to an Israeli response. "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack Iran," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in response to Khamenei's statement. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel will respond appropriately if the country is targeted by an Iranian attack.