Iran said it could develop nuclear arms as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened today a harsh reprisal against both the U.S. and Israel following Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites.
Khamenei addressed students ahead of the anniversary marking the 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front,” Khamenei, 85, stated in a video shared by state media, referencing Tehran-aligned groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
This statement came one day after Kamal Kharrazi, a top advisor, issued a pointed reminder about Iran’s nuclear capabilities, warning that Iran’s stance on nuclear weaponry could shift if a significant enough threat emerged.
“If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine, we have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard,” Kharrazi told Lebanese media, as reported by Fox News.
Just the day before, Khamenei had reportedly directed his forces to prepare for a direct assault on Israel.
Iran’s threats have grown sharper since Israel’s October 26 attack on Iran, which struck multiple military installations and reportedly killed at least five people, according to the Times of Israel.
The Israeli strikes were a counter-response to more than 200 missiles fired by Iran toward Israel on October 1.
The term “tooth-breaking” was translated by some as meaning “crushing,” though Khamenei did not detail the timing or scale of any potential retaliation.
An escalation in hostilities between Iran and Israel carries the risk of triggering a widespread regional conflict in the Middle East.
Already, the region faces an elevated threat of a full-blown crisis due to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza and its intensified military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Currently, U.S. troops are stationed in Israel monitoring a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is likely positioned in the Arabian Sea, and Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced on Friday that additional U.S. destroyers, fighter jets, refueling tankers, and B-52 bombers are en route to the region in hopes of deterring Iran and its allies.
Khamenei’s recent remarks followed a more reserved statement he made last week about the Israeli strike, noting that Israel’s October 26 attack “should not be exaggerated or downplayed.”
However, satellite images indicated that the Israeli assault caused significant damage to military bases near Tehran, some tied to Iran’s ballistic missile initiatives, and struck a Revolutionary Guard facility used for satellite launches.
Analysts suspect that Hamas and Hezbollah, both having suffered major setbacks from Israel’s military actions, may urge Iran to intensify its involvement in the conflict.
In a separate interview published just before Khamenei’s statements were made public, Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman Gen. Mohammad Ali Naini told the Fars news agency that Iran’s counterattack “will be wise, powerful and beyond the enemy’s comprehension.”
“The leaders of the Zionist regime should look out from the windows of their bedrooms and protect their criminal pilots within their small territory,” he warned.
Internally, Iran continues to face economic hardships, with an economy under severe strain from global sanctions and domestic unrest.
Following Khamenei’s speech, the Iranian currency, the rial, dropped to 691,500 per U.S. dollar, nearing an all-time low.
On a related front, Israeli naval commandos on Friday reportedly apprehended Hezbollah operative Imad Amhaz in a raid on a villa south of Tripoli, according to the Times of Israel.
Video footage from surveillance cameras showed over 25 commandos leading the detainee away before exiting the area in speedboats, per video shared by Lebanese journalist Hasan Illaik.
After hours of speculation, the IDF confirmed that Amhaz, a senior figure within Hezbollah’s naval operations, was considered a “significant source of knowledge.”
The IDF added today that approximately 2,000 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the ongoing ground operations in Lebanon.
{Matzav.com}
