Iranian military officials should decide how to respond to Friday night’s Israeli attack on Iran, but the event should neither be minimised nor exaggerated, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Sunday in his first response to the attack.
A debate has been set off inside Iran on whether the Israeli attack, more limited than some had predicted, warrants a military response and if the country will be seen as weak if it does nothing.
“The evil committed by the Zionist regime [Israel] two nights ago should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated,” Khamenei said.
Khamenei said Iran’s power should be demonstrated to Israel, adding: “It is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime and to take actions that serve the interests of this nation and country.”
His remarks suggest there is no immediate military response planned, as Iran weighs its options.
Tehran on Saturday played down Israel’s overnight air attack against Iranian military targets, saying it caused limited damage, and the US president, Joe Biden, called for a halt to escalation amid fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.
In his first response Iran’s elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, mourned the loss of four Iranian soldiers killed in the Israeli attack. In a statement he added: “Enemies of Iran should know these brave people are standing fearlessly in defence of their land and will respond to any stupidity with tact and intelligence.”
Peoplesmind
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Iran’s supreme leader says military should decide how to respond to Israeli attack
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