DUBAI, October 2024: Iran has pledged to utilize all available means in response to Israel’s recent military strikes against its targets, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.
Following an Israeli air attack on Saturday, which Iran claimed resulted in limited damage, U.S. President Joe Biden called for de-escalation to mitigate fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
In a televised press conference, Baghaei asserted that Iran would deliver a “definite and effective response” to the Israeli assault, although he did not provide specifics.
He emphasized that the nature of Iran’s response would depend on the specifics of the Israeli attack.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also weighed in, instructing officials to determine the best way to showcase Iran’s power to Israel, urging that the Israeli attack should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated.
The Israeli military reported that its air force conducted three waves of strikes early Saturday, targeting missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran.
This escalation follows an Iranian missile barrage on October 1, most of which Israel claimed to have intercepted with its air defenses. The two nations have been locked in a cycle of retaliatory actions for months, escalating tensions in the region.