Khamenei urges Officials to demonstrate Iran’s power to Israel

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei called on Iranian officials to choose the best ways to respond to the recent Israeli attack.

In his first comment on the strikes Khamenei said, Iranian officials should determine the best ways to show Iran's strength after the Israeli strikes on Saturday dawn, pointing out that the Israeli attack should neither be exaggerated nor underestimated.

Iran’s Supreme Leader also indicated that Iran's “strength must be demonstrated to Israel, adding that the means to do so should be determined by officials and that actions must serve the interests of the people and the country,” Iranian News Agency reported.

These remarks from the Iranian leader came after the Iranian military previously stated that a ceasefire in Gaza or Lebanon was a priority before any retaliatory strike against Israel, although other Iranian officials also reaffirmed their right to respond.

Iran downplayed the impact of the Israeli airstrikes targeting its military sites, stating that the attacks caused limited damage.

However, The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated, "Iran considers it its right and duty to defend itself against foreign aggression, based on the natural right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the country’s resolve to defend itself is "boundless," stating, "We will defend our land and homeland."

Tehran announced as well that the Israeli strike on its military sites resulted in the deaths of four soldiers, asserting that it has "the right and duty to defend itself" while noting that the Israeli attack "caused limited damage."

The Israeli military declared on Saturday that dozens of Israeli aircraft conducted three waves of strikes before dawn against missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran.

The latest Israeli airstrikes follow Iran’s October 1 missile launch, which involved around 200 ballistic missiles aimed at Israel, some intercepted by Israeli defenses with assistance from US forces.

The recent exchanges of fire between the two sides have raised concerns about the potential for a full-scale regional war that could pit Israel and the United States against Iran and its armed proxies in the region.

In a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that Iran must not make the mistake of retaliating, stating that there is currently an opportunity to use diplomacy to ease tensions in the region.