Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Saturday that Iran would retaliate against attacks by Israel and the US aimed at Tehran and its allied groups in the region.
“The enemies should understand that they will face a strong response for their actions against Iran, its people, and the resistance front,” Khamenei said during a speech to students in Tehran.
He was referring to the alliance of armed groups supported by Tehran, which includes the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza.
Tensions have risen sharply since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in Gaza, pulling in these Iran-aligned groups and others from Iraq and Syria.
Hezbollah and Israel exchanged gunfire for almost a year following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
On October 26, Israel launched air strikes on military locations in Iran in response to Tehran’s attack on Israel on October 1, which was retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and a commander of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran reported that at least four soldiers died in the attack, which they said caused “limited damage” to some radar systems, while Iranian media also mentioned a civilian fatality.
In his speech, Khamenei honored the fallen soldiers, stating their fight against Israel “will be remembered”.
Israel has cautioned Iran not to retaliate against the October 26 strike.
On Friday, the US announced it was sending more military assets to the Middle East, including missile defense destroyers and long-range B-52 bombers, as a warning to Iran.
Khamenei emphasized that Iran was “fully preparing the nation, whether through military means, weaponry, or political efforts,” but did not go into detail.
On the same day, the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, Ali Mohammad Naini, warned that Iran would respond “decisively” to Israel.
“The enemy must realize that it cannot act without consequences; it will certainly receive a powerful response for its actions,” Naini said, according to the Fars news agency.
