According to AP, Mr. Khamenei's statement was made in the context of Iranian officials potentially launching a retaliatory attack against Israel after the October 26 attack on a series of targets in Iran and killing at least 5 people.
Experts say any attack from either side could spread war across the Middle East, which is already tense due to the endless wars between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“The enemy, whoever it is, will face a ‘crushing response’ for what it does to Iran, the Iranian people and the resistance fronts,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Iranian television.
However, the allies, dubbed by Iran as the “Axis of Resistance”, have suffered heavy losses in Israeli attacks in recent months, with the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip both killed.
Iran has long used militant groups as a shield and to avoid direct confrontation with Israel. Some analysts believe the forces want Iran to do more in terms of military support.
After the surprise attack by Israel on October 26, the 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran made a more cautious statement than many times before, saying that “it should not be exaggerated or downplayed.”
Iran launched nearly 200 missiles into Israeli territory on October 4. Israel said the attack caused insignificant damage because most of the missiles were intercepted by their defense system.
Faced with escalating tensions, on November 1, the US announced that it would send a series of military equipment to the Middle East, including B-52 bombers, fighter jets, refueling aircraft and warships to ensure security in the region.
