Iranian leader Khamenei reportedly orders retaliatory attack on Israeli military sites
Iran's supreme leader has directed military officials to prepare a retaliatory attack against Israel, according to a report, with senior Iranian officials warning of "harsh" and "unimaginable" responses to recent Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites, News.Az reports citing The Times of Israel.
The report in The New York Times, citing Iranian officials, said Tehran’s response would not come until after US voters go to the polls on November 5, though other news outlets have quoted sources saying Iran’s response could come ahead of the vote.Iranian leaders have been threatening to carry out a reprisal action after the Israeli Air Force attacked anti-aircraft batteries and radar sites across Iran on October 26 in retaliation for a massive Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1. But Iran has so far been seen as seeking to minimize the chances for escalation or a repeat engagement.
The Times, citing three officials familiar with Tehran’s war planning, said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had ordered plans drawn up by his Supreme National Security Council on Monday after being briefed on the extent of the damage from the Israeli strikes.
Iran has claimed the sorties caused only minimal damage, while admitting that four soldiers were killed. Israel maintains its strikes successfully destroyed Iranian air defenses and missile production capabilities.
The report noted that Iranian military officials were drawing up possible lists of Israeli military targets.
A separate report in US news site Axios said Israeli intelligence was girding for an attack in the coming days involving a large number of ballistic missiles and drones launched by Iran-backed groups in Iraq.
Carrying out the attack through pro-Iran militias in Iraq could be an attempt by Tehran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran, the report said.
Both Axios and a CNN report Wednesday citing a source with knowledge of Iran’s war planning said the reprisal strike could be launched ahead of the US election on November 5.
However, sources who spoke to the Times said Iran would hold off until after the election, fearing that increased tensions could boost former president Donald Trump’s chances against Democrat Kamala Harris.
Speaking Thursday at the end of an IDF combat officers training course at a base near Mitzpe Ramon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted that Israel’s sorties had targeted Iran’s “soft underbelly” and left it without an air defense umbrella.
“The brash words of the leaders of the regime in Iran cannot cover up the fact that Israel has greater freedom of action in Iran today than ever before,” he said. “We can reach anywhere in Iran as needed.”
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