Israel’s top general says Iran WILL see ‘a response’ despite Western calls for calm: Hawks demand Netanyahu smashes ‘bullies’ amid fears the lacklustre drone barrage leaves Tehran ‘never closer’ to developing NUKES

Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack this weekend, despite Western calls for calm as the Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out war.

Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Israel was still considering what steps to take, but was unequivocal in stating that the Iranian bombardment of his country on April 13 “will be met with a response.”

Leaks from Israel’s war cabinet have reportedly suggested that a “painful” revenge attack on Iran is being planned that will not cause mass casualties, although hardliners have demanded Netanyahu show it is willing to “go crazy.”

As Benjamin Netanyahu continues to debate the reprisals the country will unleash, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to hold a phone call with the Israeli prime minister today to urge him to show ‘restraint’.

But leading voices on the defense, including respected former minister Ben Wallace, have urged Western leaders to support Israel in its response to “bullies” like Iran — and even stand up to the regime itself if necessary.

“Everyone agrees that Israel must respond,” an Israeli official told the Washington Post. ‘How to respond, when to respond, is the question.’

It comes as the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog expressed concern on Monday that Israel may target Iranian nuclear facilities, announcing that inspections had been paused on Sunday and would nevertheless resume on Monday .

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran had temporarily closed its nuclear facilities due to “safety concerns” and as they reopened on Monday he was keeping IAEA inspectors away “until we see that the situation is completely calm.”

When asked about the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi said: “We are always concerned about this possibility.” He urged “extreme restraint.”

As Benjamin Netanyahu walks the line between escalation and deterrence, former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace minced no words in his words of warning.

“The only way to deal with a bully is to get revenge,” he said. “The only option when Iran and Russia strike, I have come to the conclusion, is to strike back twice as hard and not stop until they get the message.”

Saturday’s attack marked the first time Iran launched a direct military attack on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The attack came less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli attack in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.

The Israeli military says 99 percent of about 350 drones and missiles launched by Iran have been intercepted, with help from other countries including the United States, Britain and France.

Despite the unprecedented scale of the attack, experts say it exposed Iran’s “weak” arsenal, indicating that its aging aircraft and defenses would be no match for Israel’s in the event of a full-scale war.

“I think the attack, which was designed to be spectacular but not fatal, really shows the limits of Iran’s deterrent,” said Ali Vaez, head of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group.

He added that if Iran’s regional deterrent diminishes, Tehran “will likely consider the ultimate deterrent, which comes in the form of nuclear weapons,” adding that “they have never been this close.”

Iran could try to stock up on modern aircraft and weapons with Russia’s help, an American newspaper said WashingtonPost report last night suggesting that Moscow has made promises to its ally to secure its defense against Israel.

Citing intelligence officials, the newspaper reported that Russia is “continuing” deals secretly negotiated to supply Iran with Su-35 fighter-bombers, which could help dramatically improve Iran’s aging air force.

Moscow has also promised technical assistance for Iranian spy satellites and assistance in building missiles with the aim of launching more satellites, the officials said.

The rumor that the IRGC would become a terrorist organization in Britain has been going on for months, and since the attack, Mr Sunak has come under increasing pressure to label the Iranian military as a terrorist group following the attack on Israel.

The prime minister condemned Tehran as a “despotic regime” in the aftermath of last weekend’s unprecedented rocket attack.

Mr Sunak praised the RAF pilots who helped shoot down more than 300 drones and missiles fired into Israel by Iran on Saturday evening – and said defending Israel’s security was a ‘non-negotiable’ priority for Britain used to be.

But he has faced calls from both senior Tories and Labor for tougher action against Tehran, including formally banning the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

Israel’s ambassador to Britain, Tzipi Hotovely, supported the move, saying Iran was “also a threat to the United Kingdom.”

She told LBC: ‘Maybe Britain will be next with these types of drones… they won’t hesitate to do that here.’

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Sunak said: ‘With this attack, Iran has once again shown its true colours. They are out to sow chaos… to further destabilize the Middle East. We are urgently working with our allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further bloodshed.

“We want calmer heads to prevail and are focusing all our diplomatic efforts on that.”

Mr Sunak also acknowledged that Iran’s behaviour, including the actions of the IRGC, ‘poses a significant threat to the safety and security of Britain’.

The IRGC operates as an elite military force for the Iranian regime and works closely with Hamas and Hezbollah, which are already designated as terrorist groups. Banning the IRGC would undermine its ability to operate in Britain by making it a criminal offense to associate with or promote it. It would also effectively label Iran as a terrorist state.

But Whitehall sources warned that banning the IRGC would make it impossible to talk directly to the organization, removing a valuable diplomatic backchannel.

The move is opposed by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, who has spoken of the need for ‘diplomatic channels as a route to de-escalation’, including over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman urged the Prime Minister to “put Britain’s security first”, adding: “We have known for years that the IRGC is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism is.’ Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Prime Minister: ‘All roads lead back to Tehran when it comes to the terrible violence and wars in the Middle East.’

Labor also supported tougher action against the IRGC. Sir Keir Starmer said Iran is “a regime that sponsors terror in the Middle East and beyond, that murders and oppresses its own people, and that supports Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine.”