Israel and Iran are escalating the shadow war between the two, with the international community’s efforts to avoid a direct conflict and further expansion of the war in the region walking a tightrope.

Responding to earlier aggressive rhetoric by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who he repeated his promise of an imminent strike on Israelthe country’s foreign minister fired back announcing that his country’s forces would strike Iran directly if the Islamic Republic launches an attack from its soil against Israel.

His comments come to add to a series of threats unleashed by the two rival powers amid heightened tensions following the killings of Iranian generals in an explosion at the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month.

“If Iran attacks from its soil, Israel will respond and attack Iran”said the Israel Kats in a post on X in both Farsi and Hebrew.

Tehran holds Israel responsible for the strike that flattened the building, killing 12 people. Israel has not admitted its involvement, although it is preparing for one Iranian response to the attack.

Khamenei spoke at a prayer ceremony for him celebration of the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadansaying the airstrike was a “mistake” and amounted to an attack on Iranian soil.

“When they attacked our consulate area, it was like they attacked our territory”Khamenei said, in remarks broadcast by Iran’s state television. “The evil regime must be punished and it will be punished.”

Neither Katz nor the Ayatollah provided details on how Iran and Israel would retaliate.

Among the 12 dead in the explosion on April 1 were seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guardfour Syrians and a member of the Hezbollah militia.

Khamenei also criticized the West, particularly the US and Britain, for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Biden: The way Israel’s operations in the Gaza Strip are conducted is “wrong”

The same time, Israel is also facing growing criticism from its allies with President Biden returning to calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy on the Gaza Strip “wrong”while calling on the Israeli government to conclude a ceasefire agreement.

“I think so what he is doing is wrong. I don’t agree with his approach”the US president said during an interview he gave to the Spanish-language television network Univision, answering a question about the manner in which Israel’s military operations against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave are conducted.

These are some of the harshest statements for the Israeli prime minister as impatience now seems to be intensifying in Washington in the face of the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, under Israeli siege for over half a year.

He described as “outrageous” the fact that a convoy of the American NGO World Central Kitchen was targeted by Israeli airstrikes resulting in the death of seven of its workers, among them an American-Canadian.

“What I’m asking is the Israelis to declare a ceasefire” and “to allow the next six or eight weeks full access to the food and medicines that go” in the enclave, Mr. Biden said.

In a telephone conversation with Mr. Netanyahu last week, he hinted for the first time that he might impose conditions on the granting of American aid to Israel if there are no “tangible” measures to deal with the humanitarian crisis.

The American president added that he is talking to “the whole worldwith the Saudis, with the Jordanians, with the Egyptians” and they are “ready to go there”, they are “ready to deliver the food” that civilians need.

“There is no excuse for not distributing medicine and food to the world that needs it. This must be done now”he insisted.

The US has billions of dollars worth of military aid to Israel. Recently, however, the Israeli authorities have been demanding that more be done for humanitarian aid to reach civilians.

Although Washington praised the first measures announced by Israelsuch as the “temporary” opening of crossing points to the Gaza Strip, especially Eretz (north), added that he expects “results”.

Relatives of US-Israeli hostages of Hamas in Gaza were received by US Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House, while indirect negotiations continue for the declaration of a cease-fire which will be accompanied by the release of hostages and in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

“We want results. We want our relatives back”Rachel Goldberg, whose son is among the hostages, summarized speaking to the press.