Netanyahu aide lambasts minister for suggesting Israel's role behind Iran blasts

After Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir invited severe criticism on Friday (Apr 19) over terming the country's reported air strike against Iran as "lame", he was reached out to by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's confidant who told him that he was harming Israel’s national security.

However, according to Channel 12 reports, there probably will not be any further repercussions for Gvir as the Israeli prime minister is reliant on him to remain in power.

Gvir courted controversy after he suggested that Israel was responsible for the reported blasts that rocked Iran on Friday.

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Earlier in the day, an explosion was reportedly heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan, the cause of which is not yet known.

A section of US media quoting American officials said that Israel had launched its retaliatory attacks against its arch-rival Iran.

Gvir, who is a member of Netanyahu's ruling coalition, took to his official social media handle X and wrote, "Scarecrow!" which translates to feeble in Hebrew slang, hinting at a suggestion that Israel was behind the explosions but the action it took was weak.

His remarks swiftly grabbed attention with opposition leader Yair Lapid commenting, "Never before a minister has done such heavy damage to the country's security, its image, and its international status."

"In an unforgivable tweet of one word, Ben Gvir managed to sneer and shame Israel from Tehran to Washington," he added.

Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an academic and host of a podcast on geopolitics, said that Ben Gvir "confirms the Israeli operation and ridicules it".

"By doing so he undermines Israel's power of deterrence. An absolute disgrace for a minister," he wrote on X.

US says ‘not involved in any offensive operation’

Following the reported explosion in Isfahan, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday (Apr 19) said that America was "not involved in any offensive operation" and declined to comment on the matter.

"I'm not going to speak to these reported events... All I can say is for our part and for all the members of the G7 our focus is on de-escalation," Blinken told a press conference on the Italian island of Capri.

"What we're focused on, what the G7 is focused on, and again, it's reflected in our statement, and in our conversation, is our work to de-escalate tensions, to de-escalate from any potential conflicts," he further said.

However, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a press briefing said that the United States was notified about the Israeli strikes way in advance.

"The United States was informed at the last moment," he said, adding that "it was just information" passed on -- without saying who by.

The Group of Seven ministers, in its final statement, said, "In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end."

(With inputs from agencies)