Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern warning on Saturday, threatening both Israel and the United States with a “crushing response” if attacks on Iran and its allies continue.
Khamenei’s statement comes amid rising tensions and concerns over a wider regional conflict in the Middle East, further intensified by ongoing hostilities in Gaza and Israel’s operations in Lebanon.
Speaking in a video released by Iranian state media, Khamenei said, “The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front.”
He did not however, specify when or how Iran might retaliate, leaving questions about the timing and scale of any potential response.
This escalation follows an October 26 attack by Israeli forces on Iranian military bases, which reportedly killed at least five people. Israeli officials indicated that their strikes targeted military facilities, avoiding nuclear and oil infrastructure.
The move was allegedly in response to an Iranian ballistic missile strike earlier this month, which Iran described as retaliation for Israeli actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
While the US was informed of Israel’s intentions beforehand, it has publicly distanced itself from any direct involvement.
Khamenei had earlier struck a more restrained tone, urging Iranian officials to carefully weigh their response and cautioning against overstating or downplaying Israel’s assault.
The concern has grown that the situation could spiral into a larger confrontation, with regional actors already polarized over the Israel-Hamas conflict and just days away from the US presidential election.
