-
Tehran Claims It Will Respond Firmly to Israeli Strikes
-
Contradictory statements by Iranian officials about the extent of damage indicate confusion in the official position regarding Israeli strikes
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghei declared Monday that his country "will respond firmly and effectively" to Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iranian military sites over the weekend.
During his regular press conference, Baghei emphasized: "We will use all available means to respond firmly, effectively, and impactfully to the Israeli aggression, and the type of response will be proportional to the type of attack."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced Sunday that officials should determine the best ways to demonstrate Iran's strength to Israel, adding that "the Israeli attack should neither be understated nor exaggerated".
The Israeli military used dozens of aircraft to carry out three waves of strikes on missile manufacturing facilities and other sites near Tehran and western Iran, in response to an Iranian missile attack on October 1st.
Iran's Fars and Tasnim agencies reported today the funeral of civilian Verdi Rahimpour, who was killed near Tehran during the raids, along with four military personnel.
The escalation comes amid Tehran's continued support for Lebanese Hezbollah, which is engaged with Israeli forces in Lebanon, and Hamas movement, which is fighting in Gaza.
U.S. President Joe Biden has appealed for de-escalation to avoid a full-scale war in the region, while Iranian media claimed that nuclear and strategic facilities were not damaged by the strikes.
Levant-Agencies
