Khamenei warns Israel, US of ‘crushing response’ for actions against Iran

The ultimate person had struck a much cautious attack successful earlier remarks aft Israeli aerial strikes connected Iran past week.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned Israel and the United States of “a crushing response” for actions against Iran and its allies, according to authorities media.

Khamenei, 85, made the remarks connected Saturday portion addressing students up of the day of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy successful Tehran by hardline students – which cemented the decades-long enmity betwixt Tehran and Washington that persists today.

“The enemies, whether the Zionist authorities oregon the United States of America, volition decidedly person a crushing effect to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian federation and to the absorption front,” Khamenei said successful the capital, Tehran, besides referring to Iran-aligned equipped groups that see Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas.

The ultimate person did not elaborate connected the timing of immoderate attack, oregon the scope.

He had antecedently struck a much cautious approach, saying officials would measurement Iran’s effect and that Israel’s onslaught “should not beryllium exaggerated nor downplayed”, aft the Israeli subject launched strikes past week connected subject bases successful Iran, hitting astir 20 sites implicit respective hours successful Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.

Israel said the strikes were a effect to attacks from “Iran and its proxies”.

Khamenei connected Saturday met with assemblage students to people Students’ Day, which commemorates a November 4, 1978, incidental successful which Iranian soldiers opened occurrence connected students protesting the regularisation of the shah astatine Tehran University.

The assemblage greeted Khamenei with enthusiastic cheers, chanting, “The humor successful our veins is simply a acquisition to our leader!”

Risk of further escalation

Israel has said its air strikes connected Iran connected October 26 were successful retaliation for a large ballistic rocket onslaught by Tehran connected October 1.

The Iranian attack, which progressive astir 200 missiles, was launched aft Israeli assaults successful caller months that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military.

Israel has warned Iran against retaliating, portion Tehran, stating it does not question war, has promised to respond.

“If Iran makes the mistake of launching different rocket barrage astatine Israel, we volition erstwhile again cognize however to scope Iran … and onslaught very, precise hard,” said Israel’s subject main Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi earlier this week, adding that definite targets had been acceptable speech “because we whitethorn beryllium required to bash this again”.

Any further attacks from either broadside hazard drafting the portion – already connected borderline owed to Israel’s wars successful Gaza and Lebanon – into a wider determination conflict, conscionable days up of the US statesmanlike predetermination connected Tuesday.

The US subject operates passim the Middle East, with immoderate troops present manning a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, oregon THAAD, artillery successful Israel.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “ordered the deployment of further ballistic rocket defence destroyers, combatant squadron and tanker aircraft, and respective US Air Force B-52 long-range onslaught bombers to the region,” Pentagon spokesperson Major-General Pat Ryder said connected Friday.

Austin “continues to marque wide that should Iran, its partners, oregon its proxies usage this infinitesimal to people American unit oregon interests successful the region, the United States volition instrumentality each measurement indispensable to support our people”, Ryder said successful a statement.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies