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Iran Prepares Response to Israeli Air Strikes Amid Rising Tensions
As Iran asserts that its response to last week's Israeli airstrikes on its territory is imminent, the world awaits the nature and timing of this retaliation. According to reports from Israeli public radio, military movements within Iran indicate preparations for a response to Israel.
U.S. officials have confirmed that several military activities have been recorded in Iran. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed on Saturday to respond to attacks launched by Israel and its ally, the United States, against Tehran or its supported groups in the region. During a speech delivered to students in Tehran, he asserted, “The two enemies, the United States and the Zionist regime, should know that they will certainly receive a harsh response for their actions against Iran and the axis of resistance.”
Additionally, the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, Ali Mohammad Naqini, stated that Iran would retaliate against the "new malicious act" perpetrated by Israel, referring to the October 26 attack. He emphasized that the response would be "inevitable, decisive, and beyond the enemy's comprehension," according to the Fars news agency.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has recently cautioned Tehran against retaliating against Israel, making it clear that Iran would not be able to restrain the Israelis, as revealed by a U.S. official and a former Israeli official knowledgeable on the matter. In a related move, the U.S. military dispatched B-52 bombers to the Middle East a day after the warning to Tehran.
These statements come at a time when Israel, considered the United States' primary ally, is engaged in ongoing conflicts in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. They also follow an Israeli military announcement on October 26, confirming it had attacked military targets in Iran, describing the operation as a response to Iranian missile attacks on October 1. The Israeli airstrike reportedly targeted missile manufacturing facilities, which Tehran downplayed in significance, although it acknowledged the death of five military personnel.
