Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Israel would be punished "severely" for the attack it launched against his country's nuclear program that killed several Iranian military commanders.
"The Zionist regime (Israel) extended its vicious and bloody hand in a crime against Iran this morning and revealed its shameful nature. With this attack, the Zionist regime prepared a bitter fate for itself, which it will surely receive," Khamenei stressed.
Iran promised a "strong response" to Israeli airstrikes that targeted several areas of the country, including nuclear facilities, at dawn today.
"The armed forces will definitely respond to this Zionist attack," said Abolfazl Shekarshi, spokesman for the Iranian army's general staff.
Israel "will pay a heavy price and should expect a strong response from the Iranian armed forces," he added.
Moreover, the head of Israel's armed forces stated today that "I cannot promise the absolute success" of the "historic" military campaign launched by his country against Iran, while warning of "the reckoning" of possible Iranian retaliation against Israel.
"Citizens of Israel, I cannot promise complete success. The Iranian regime will try to attack us in retaliation, and the expected outcome will be different from what we are used to," Major General Eyal Amir stressed in a televised address.
“We are committed to a historic, unprecedented campaign,” he added.
With this military operation against Iran, Israel is at a "decisive moment," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stressed.
“This is a decisive moment in the history of the State of Israel and in the history of the Jewish people,” Katz said in a statement.
According to him, “Iran is more determined than ever to carry out its plan to destroy Israel. We are at a crucial juncture. If we fail, we will have no means to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that will endanger our very existence.”
The state-run Kan network, citing an Israeli official, reported that Israel fully coordinated with Washington on Iran and informed the US before launching strikes against Iranian targets.
The official, who was not named, told Kan that recent reports of a rift between Israel and the US were false but not denied as part of a media stunt to mislead Iran.
"Australia is alarmed by the escalation between Israel and Iran. It risks further destabilizing an already volatile region. We call on all parties to refrain from any actions or rhetoric that will further escalate tensions. We all recognize the threat that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose to international peace and security, and we call on all parties to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
"This is a truly undesirable development in the Middle East. The risk of miscalculation is high. This region does not need more military action and the risk that comes with it," said New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Source: KYPE
