Israeli response to strikes to warrant wide-scale destruction: Iran
5 Min Read
Iranian officials have stressed that the country only used a portion of its capabilities to strike Israeli military sites, warning against further escalation.
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A photo released on, January 15, 2021, by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, shows missiles being launched in a wide-scale drill in Iran. (AP)
Iranian officials commented on the latest retaliatory attack conducted by the country's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) against the Israeli regime on Tuesday, offering some insights on the build-up to the operation, as well as the government and armed forces' future actions.
Iran's Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, spoke after footage of the operation being commissioned from the IRGC's operations room was released.
Major General Bagheri said that Iran had gone through "a difficult period of restraint" during the buildup to "Operation True Promise 2".
He said that the country did not launch a retaliatory attack to the assassination of Palestinian Resistance leader, martyr Ismail Haniyeh, in northern Tehran due to American requests and promises of a ceasefire in Gaza.
"However, the situation became unbearable after the martyrdom of Sayyed (Hassan) Nasrallah and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan," Bagheri said in reference to the Israeli raid that led to the martyrdom of the two leaders as well as several other Resistance officials on September 27.
More than two months since the assassination of martyr Haniyeh, and after several rounds of negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza, which culminated in Israeli officials pushing a deal into a dead end, and after the Israeli regime commissioned several aggressive actions, Iran responded in a wide-scale missile strike.
At least 200 missiles were fired by the IRGC's Aerospace Force, headed by Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, at strategic Israeli military sites, including three air bases in Tel Nof, Nevatim, and Hatzerim.
Bagheri stressed that Iran has "the capability to strike Israeli economic sectors," but chose to stick to military bases in this round of engagement.
"Our attacks targeted the Mossad headquarters, the Hatzerim air base, the Nevatim air base, Israeli radars, and locations of Israeli tanks," he added.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran warned against any "Israeli folly" in an attempt to respond to Iran's rightful retaliatory attack.
"In the case that the aggressing [Israeli] entity responds, it will have to expect the destruction of its infrastructure on a wide scale," the highest military body in Iran underlined.
"If the countries supporting the entity intervene directly and attack Iran and its sovereignty, their interests will be targeted throughout the region," the body said, adding that such countries would also regret taking direct action against Iran.
The General Staff, headed by Major General Bagheri, explained that the operation was able to secure the necessary deterrence, stressing that it "hopes" that the message to the Israeli regime and its backers is clear.
"Let the occupation entity and its supporters know that Iran has not started any war over the past 45 years and will not start any war, but it will respond with force and firmness to any attack on it," the military body asserted.
#Iran carried out Operation True Promise 2, the Islamic Republic's unprecedented attack on "Israel" in retaliation against the Israeli assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Nilforoushan.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 2, 2024
Hundreds of ballistic missiles rained down on Israeli bases while… pic.twitter.com/rbMGPCWBf6
Read more: Palestinian factions praise IRGC over Operation True Promise 2
Minister of Defense: A variety of homegrown missiles were deployed
Concurrently, the Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Aziz Nasrizadeh said that a variety of domestically produced missiles were used in "Operation True Promise 2".
He said that Iran hit military and security targets, stressing that the legitimacy of the country's retalitory strike.
Reiterating other officials' remarks, Narizadeh said that any Israeli response will be met with a "firmer slap."
Only a portion of Iran's strength was shown
In a post on X, the speaker of Iran's Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said, "Only a portion of Iran's power was shown to the aggressors."
"If you knew what was prepared for you, you would have stopped [threatening] Iran right now.," the official wrote.
Iran's President, Masoud Pezeshkian, also posted on X following Tuesday's attack.
"Based on legitimate rights and with the aim of peace and security for Iran and the region, a decisive response was given to the aggression of the Zionist regime," Pezeshkian wrote.
We have the right to defend ourselves
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) October 1, 2024
”نصر من الله و فتح قریب “ pic.twitter.com/MwDf8Seiad
He said that the attack came in defense of the interests and citizens of Iran, stressing that Iran will stand firmly against any threat.
"Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not a belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat," he said.
"Do not enter into a conflict with Iran," he underlined.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the country acted in self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
"We did so after exercising tremendous restraint for almost two months, to give space for a ceasefire in Gaza," he affirmed.
"Our action is concluded unless Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation," Araghchi added.
"In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful. Israel's enablers now have a heightened responsibility to rein in the warmongers in Tel Aviv instead of getting involved in their folly," the foreign minister concluded.
