Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has promised a “teeth-breaking” response to Israel and the United States after Israel targeted Iranian military sites in retaliatory strikes late last month.
“The enemies, both the US and the Zionist regime (Israel), should know that they will definitely receive a teeth-breaking response for what they are doing against Iran and the resistance front,” said Khamenei, referring to Iran-allied militant groups including Hamas and Hezbollah.
He was speaking during a meeting with students on Saturday, ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported.
“We are certainly doing everything necessary to prepare the Iranian nation to stand against arrogance, whether in terms of military readiness, armaments, or political actions, and thank God, our officials are currently engaged in this,” he added.
Iran and Israel have long been enemies, a rivalry that deepened following Hamas’ attacks of October 7 last year and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza. Israel has been battling Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and overnight at least 19 people were injured in the central Israeli city of Tira after projectiles were launched over the border.
Khamenei’s remarks come a week after Israel’s latest round of strikes on Iran in response to the Islamic Republic’s October 1 missile attack on the Jewish state, which itself was a response to the Israeli killing of leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah.
