Iran official: Tel Aviv ‘will be razed’ if Israel attacks

TEHRAN, Iran – A senior Iranian official has warned Israel not to provoke Iran a day after Israel’s prime minister issued a similar warning to Tehran.

Ali Shirazi, an aide to Iran’s supreme leader, was quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying Iran is capable of destroying Israel. He says “if you provide an excuse for Iran, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be razed to the ground.”

At a Holocaust memorial ceremony Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran not to “test Israel’s resolve.”

Iran has repeatedly predicted Israel’s demise, and supports armed groups pledged to its destruction.

Netanyahu has said Israel will not tolerate an Iranian military presence in Syria, especially along the border. Iran has sent troops and allied militiamen to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.