Iran's supreme leader says military should decide how to respond to Israeli attack | Iran

Iranian military officials should decide how to respond to Israel's attack on Iran on Friday evening, but the event should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Sunday in his first reaction to the attack.

A debate has erupted in Iran over whether Israel's attack, more limited than some had predicted, warrants a military response and whether 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 must be demonstrated to Israel, adding: “It is up to the authorities to decide how to convey to the Israeli regime the power and will of the Iranian people and take actions that are in line with the interests of this nation and this one.” Serving the country.” ”

His comments suggest that no immediate military response is planned as Iran weighs its options.

Tehran on Saturday downplayed Israel's overnight airstrike on Iranian military targets, saying it caused limited damage, and US President Joe Biden called for a halt to the escalation over fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech on Sunday: “The air force has attacked across Iran. We are severely impacting Iran's defense capabilities and its ability to produce missiles aimed at us.

“The attack in Iran was precise and powerful and achieved all of its objectives.”

According to anonymous officials quoted in The New York Times, the Israeli strike destroyed air defense systems set up to protect several key oil and petrochemical refineries and a large gas field. According to the report, the air defense facilities attacked included those around the Bandar Imam Khomeini petrochemical complex and the neighboring Bandar Imam Khomeini port.

In his first response, Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian lamented the loss of four Iranian soldiers killed in the Israeli attack. In a statement, he added: “Enemies of Iran should know that these brave people fearlessly defend their country and respond to any folly with tact and intelligence.”

Former foreign minister and current government strategic adviser Javad Zarif also did not directly threaten retaliation, but instead said in a lengthy statement: “The West should move away from its outdated and dangerous paradigm.” It must condemn Israel's recent acts of aggression and itself work with Iran to end apartheid, genocide and violence in Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon. It is essential to recognize Iran's confident commitment to peace. This unique opportunity should not be missed.”

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York, often used as a vehicle to convey media messages to the West, accused the United States of complicity in the attack because Israeli warplanes attacked Iran from Iraqi airspace: “Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the US military. Conclusion: US complicity in this crime is certain.”

The mission has also written to the UN Security Council to accuse Israel of violating Iranian sovereignty.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, added: “It seems that the truth has been fully proven that without America, Israel does not necessarily have power in the region, not only in the operation it carried out against Iran, but in all of them.” operations it has undertaken. “We believe that America has been complicit in all of these cases.”

He highlighted the response of countries in the region to the Israeli attack. “From yesterday (Saturday) to today, we have been regularly receiving news from different countries, the statements they have made and the level of condemnation from different countries in the region. It is truly remarkable that it has taken place at this international level.”

Iran must weigh the likely diplomatic damage to its improving relations with its Arab partners from another attack, the impact on the country's struggling economy and the likelihood that another Israeli attack would cause significantly more damage than Friday's mitigation exercise.

Public support for Iran's costly foreign policy is weak, the latest Middle East Institute poll shows.