Israel's UN Ambassador: Reaction to Iran will be 'very painful'

EXCLUSIVE: The world is awaiting Israel's response to Iran's missile attacks on October 1, and the country's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, promised that it would be “very painful” to deter Iran from further attacks in the future.

Danon stressed Israel's authority in deciding how to strike back against Iran – they will not pay much attention to President Biden's insistence on “proportionality.”

“We will decide the time and place,” he said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

“The regime is vulnerable and it is up to us to decide what message we want to send them,” Danon continued. “It will be very painful for the Iranian regime and it will think twice in the future whether to attack Israel or not.”

Iran rained around 200 rockets on Tel Aviv on October 1st. In the two weeks since, Iran has expected an imminent counterattack – and Biden has called on Israel to avoid attacks on nuclear or oil facilities and to limit the counterattack to military sites.

Danon said the world must do more to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

“God forbid if they have a nuclear bomb,” Danon said. “We can all imagine what they will do with it. So I don't think we should wait for that day. I expect the United States, Europe and other strong democracies to take action against Iran today.”

Since October 7, 2023, Iran has been fighting against Israel through its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah. Its rocket attack earlier this month was Iran's first direct attack on Israel since April.

Ambassador Danny Danon insists that the Netanyahu government is united – even as condemnation of Israel's actions is heard from other parts of the world. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Last week, Iran's foreign minister traveled across the Middle East to secure support from other nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and Jordan. He will soon travel to Egypt and Turkey.

In the US, Biden is under pressure from progressive forces to apply pressure and condition aid to Israel to avoid further civilian casualties.

Danon, once a vocal opponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the right, insists that today's Netanyahu government is united – even as condemnation for Israel's actions pours in from other parts of the world.

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“We have nowhere to go. That is why we stand united and determined to fight back and protect our people and our nation.”

Some have called for a plan for the next day, once Israel determines that its enemies in Gaza and Lebanon have been defeated. “We can only talk about reconstruction once we have defeated Hamas,” Danon said.

“Everyone who cares about the future of Palestinians in Gaza should support Israel,” he continued. “If we allow Hamas to stay there, there will be no future for Gaza.”

In Gaza, the elimination of Hamas, which has controlled the Strip since 2006, leaves open the question of who will retain authority.

And as Israel continues its invasion of Lebanon to push back Hezbollah, Danon called on the local population to strip Hezbollah of its power and reclaim its sovereignty from Tehran's influence.

People gather near the site where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut's southern suburbs. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Thick plumes of smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese border town of Khiam in the south, October 2, 2024. (Stringer/Image Alliance via Getty Images)

“I addressed the Lebanese people, I even spoke to them in Arabic, I asked them to take responsibility for the future and not to allow Iran to use Lebanon as a launching pad against Israel,” he said and was referring to a United Nations Security Council meeting earlier this month.

“Lebanon serves the Lebanese people, not the interests of Iran.”

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In contrast to his goal of wiping out Hamas in Gaza, Danon said Israel wanted to push back Hezbollah in Lebanon and from its own northern border.

“We want to return to the situation where Hezbollah is not on the border with Israel in accordance with UN Resolution 1701. Hopefully it will be implemented better this time,” Danon said. “We are pushing them back and I hope it will be completed soon.”

Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, established a buffer zone between Israel and Hezbollah, with the terrorist group located away from Israel's border.

United Nations peacekeepers UNIFIL were tasked with enforcing this resolution, but Hezbollah quickly retreated back into the area.

For the past two weeks, Israel has called on UN peacekeepers to withdraw 5 km (3 miles) from the so-called Blue Line – a line mapped by the United Nations that separates Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights – for their own safety separates.

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So far they have refused to do so, but Danon said he is still in talks and imploring UNIFIL troops to move for their safety.

“We think it is a mistake (to stay on the pitch), but we will continue to do our best to ensure that UN forces are not inadvertently targeted. But you know, when you're in the crossfire between Hezbollah and the IDF, it's not safe.”

Danon has often found himself at the forefront of strained relations between Israel and the United Nations, as the organization continually called on the IDF to cease hostilities.

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“We have seen that the UN has forgotten the moral issues they need to address,” Danon said.

Asked if he still believed in the UN as a force for peace and security, he said: “Well, the idea was good… Unfortunately, today it is being used by hostile forces to attack the victims and not to harm the victims Condemn those who attack other countries and civilians.”