Top Iranian officials vow retaliation against Israel following deadly airstrikes

Three senior Iranian officials vowed retaliation on Thursday against Israel for its deadly strikes on Iranian military facilities on Saturday.

Israeli warplanes carried out the strikes in what Israel said was retaliation for Tehran’s October 1 missile barrage, which Iran had in turn described as a reprisal for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander.

Since the attacks on October 26, Israel has warned Iran against retaliating, while Tehran, stating it does not seek war, vowed to respond.

“The recent action of the Zionist regime in attacking parts of our country was a desperate move and the Islamic Republic of Iran will give it a harsh and regretful response,” said Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, a senior aide to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, quoted by the state-linked Tasnim news agency.

He praised Iran’s air defense performance in “preventing the entry of the Zionist regime fighters into the territory” and said damage from the strikes was “minimal.”

Golpayegani is an influential cleric acting as the head of the office of Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of the state.

Also on Thursday, Hossein Salami, head of the IRGC, warned of an “unimaginable” response to Israel.

“Israel has reached the stage of collapse and these days it acts blindly and without abiding to any rules it commits every crime,” he added, according to Tasnim.

IRGC commander Ali Fadavi, who is Salami’s deputy, also warned of a response on Thursday, telling pro-Iran Lebanese broadcaster al-Mayadeen that an Iranian response to Isreal is “certain.”

After the strikes on the Islamic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they “hit Iran’s defense capabilities and missile production.”

Iran’s armed forces said the attack killed four military personnel and caused “limited damage” to a few radar systems. Iranian media said a civilian was also killed.