Iran warns Israel, US of ‘crushing response’ for attacks on its military sites

“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front,” said Khamenei in a video released by Iranian state media.

The 85-year-old Khamenei did not mention the scale or timing of the response. Earlier, the supreme leader had sounded more cautious in his first reaction to Israeli attacks, where he said it “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”.

Earlier The New York Times reported that Khamenei had ordered for a “harsh and regretful” response to Israel for its first “open attack” on October 26 that targeted secretive military facilities and killed at least five people.

The attack reportedly damaged Tehran’s missile production capabilities, air defence systems, critical energy infrastructure and a main port in the south. Israel reportedly avoided nuclear sites and oil production facilities after specific instructions from the US.

New US deployments

The United States on Friday announced the deployment of more military assets, including long range B-52 bomber aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers, in West Asia. The new deployments are in addition to previous deployments to the region that included a THAAD missile defence system.

“Should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” said Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder.

Iran has carried out two major attacks against Israel in 2024 -one in April after a strike on its consulate in Damascus that was blamed on Israel, and another in October that Tehran said was in response to the assassination of leaders of armed groups it backs in the Middle East.

(With agency inputs)