Iran ‘will respond to Israel attacks before US election’

Iran officials told CNN Tehran’s would be ‘definitive and painful,’ despite Tehran’s recent efforts to downplay the strikes on key military targets.

Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had played down the Israeli strikes.

Iran will reportedly retaliate to Israel’s weekend attack with a “definitive and painful” response that will likely come before the US presidential election, despite Tehran’s recent efforts to downplay the strikes on key military targets.

A high-ranking source told the broadcaster: “The response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the aggression of the Zionist regime will be definitive and painful,” adding the response “will probably take place before the day of the US presidential election” on November 5.

At least 100 fighter planes attacked Iran on Saturday (AEDT), knocking out missile defences across the country and destroying military sites including a Revolutionary Guards headquarters.

The White House warned Tehran against any retaliation, with spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters: “Iran should not respond to Israel’s retaliation. If Iran does choose to respond, however, the US will be standing by to assist Israel in its defence.”

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller repeated the message but didn’t say whether Tehran had conveyed a message to the US about its intensions to respond before the election.

“I’m not going to talk about communications between our two government, real or imagined. But as we have made clear publicly, and I can tell you that Iran knows this message quite clearly, they should not continue to escalate this conflict,” he told reporters.

Israel has expected some type of response but it has been unclear how strong this would be.

Israel has warned Tehran that any further attacks on its territory will be met with resolute action.

Iran had appeared to be stepping back from the brink of all-out war with Israel, as the country’s Supreme Leader refrained from threatening Israel in his first remarks since the weekend’s attacks, and its president told cabinet members Tehran does not seek war.

As Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met the families of four Iranians who were killed during the air strikes early this week, he said it was up to “officials” to “assess and precisely apprehend what needs to be done”.

He warned, however: “Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran … we need to make them understand these things.”.

President Masoud Pezeshkian told a cabinet meeting: “We do not seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country,” Pezeshkian told a cabinet meeting, adding that Iran “will give an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime.”