Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly instructed the country’s Supreme National Security Council to prepare for a retaliatory attack on Israel after deeming the damage caused by Tel Aviv’s strike on Saturday “too major to ignore”, the New York Times reported, citing three Iranian officials.
The paper quoted the Iranian officials as saying that Khamenei made the decision on Monday after reviewing a detailed report from senior military leaders on the extent of damage to Iran’s missile production capabilities and air defence systems around Tehran and the vital energy infrastructure as well as the main port in the south.
According to the Iranian officials, Khamenei has reportedly said that based on the extent of damage caused to Iranian military capabilities, “failure to respond means admitting defeat”.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “Iranian military leaders are now preparing a list of military targets inside Israel, but the attacks were likely to occur after the US elections because Iran is concerned that another wave of tension and chaos in the region could benefit former President Donald Trump in his re-election campaign.”
“Iran will stand by its ally Hezbollah, which is at war with Israel in Lebanon and has been subjected to violent attacks on its leadership and arsenal,” Quds Force Commander, Esmail Qaani, said in a statement yesterday.
According to the newspaper, Israeli leaders have also indicated their readiness to launch more direct attacks on Iran, if necessary.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday the recent attacks on Iran had enabled Israel to inflict more damage in a second round of strikes.
“Israel today has greater freedom of action in Iran than ever before. We can reach anywhere in Iran according to our needs.”
On 26 October, Israel launched an attack on “military sites” in Iran, in response to the Iranian missile strike on Israel on 1 October, which came in response to Israel’s assassination of the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in Lebanon and Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, during an official visit to Tehran.
