Khamenei Calls For Balanced Response To Israeli Strikes On Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has offered a balanced response to recent Israeli strikes, stating that the attacks should not be “exaggerated or downplayed.” His remarks came amid rising tensions, but he refrained from calling for immediate retaliation. The strikes, which left at least four Iranian soldiers dead, have stirred responses from Iranian leaders, although Tehran has clarified that it does not seek war.
President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed Khamenei’s sentiment, pledging that Iran would provide an “appropriate response” while emphasising that Iran’s stance remains defensive rather than aggressive. The Israeli government, however, claimed that its strikes had effectively targeted Iranian military installations, severely impacting Iran’s air defence and missile production capabilities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the attack was “precise and powerful,” commemorating victims of last year’s October attacks in a public speech, where he warned, “Whoever hurts us, we hurt him.” Iranian sources, meanwhile, downplayed the effectiveness of the strikes, asserting that many missiles had been intercepted and that the damage was minimal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disclosed that Iran had received indications of an impending attack hours before it occurred, though he did not elaborate further. Western leaders have since urged Iran to avoid escalation to prevent the risk of a broader regional conflict.
Iranian state media has portrayed the incident as causing only “limited” damage, an approach analysts interpret as intended to reassure the Iranian public. Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, continues. An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least eight people, with further casualties reported in Gaza and Israel. Meanwhile, Egypt has proposed a two-day ceasefire in Gaza, suggesting a possible prisoner exchange to de-escalate hostilities.
The conflict, which began after Hamas’s 7 October attack on southern Israel, has since claimed thousands of lives and remains a flashpoint for further unrest in the region.
