TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a strong response to Iran’s missile attacks, warning that Tehran would "pay a very heavy price" for targeting civilians, including women and children, in the Bat Yam area south of Tel Aviv.

During a visit to the heavily damaged district on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel would fulfill its war objectives and "eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat."

He described the current confrontation as “an existential battle,” stressing that all Israelis now recognize the scale of the threat.

“Think of what would happen if Tehran possessed 20,000 missiles of this type,” he warned.

Netanyahu accused Iran of seeking Israel’s destruction, promising a "double blow" in retaliation.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz also signaled that more devastating strikes were imminent, referencing the Israeli air campaign in Beirut last year that leveled much of the city’s southern suburbs.

He said the military would not hesitate to target Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.

In a statement, Katz accused Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of turning Tehran into “another Beirut,” holding its people hostage for the survival of his regime.

On the Iranian side, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned of intensified retaliation if Israeli attacks continued.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s response would be “more decisive and severe,” adding that its military had so far responded “forcefully and appropriately.”

Pezeshkian reiterated accusations that the United States was complicit in the Israeli strikes, saying Washington had a “direct role.”

The IRGC previously confirmed it had used its Haj Qasem solid-fuel tactical guided ballistic missile in the strike on Bat Yam, which killed civilians and caused widespread damage.

Israeli officials have stated that a “long list” of Iranian targets remains on the table.

Since Friday, Israel has carried out a wave of airstrikes on multiple Iranian cities, targeting nuclear facilities, military command centers, and defense ministry sites. Among those killed were Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami, and at least nine senior nuclear scientists. — Agencies