Middle East

Iran Vows Retaliation Against Israel in Response to Recent Airstrikes, Plans Action Before U.S. Election

October 31, 2024

In response to recent Israeli airstrikes on its military assets, Iran has announced plans for a definitive counterattack before the U.S. presidential election.

Iran is reportedly preparing a forceful retaliatory strike against Israel in response to recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military facilities. A senior Iranian official told CNN that Iran’s response to what it calls “the aggression of the Zionist regime” will be “definitive and painful.” The source indicated that Iran aims to carry out its counterattack before the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Israel National News reported.

The escalation follows a series of Israeli airstrikes last Friday, which targeted Iranian missile manufacturing facilities and Russian-supplied air defense systems within Iran. This operation by Israel was a counteraction to an Iranian ballistic missile offensive on October 1, when Iran launched an unprecedented 181 missiles at Israel, marking the largest missile attack against the country to date, as per Israel National News.

The Israeli airstrikes resulted in extensive damage to Iranian missile production sites and buildings connected to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Satellite images released by media sources provide evidence of significant destruction at these Iranian facilities, contradicting Iranian media claims downplaying the impact of the Israeli attack. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, described Israel’s actions as a “miscalculation” and urged a tempered response, saying that Israel’s moves should “neither be exaggerated nor downplayed.”

Iranian Major General Hossein Salami of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed Israel’s actions as a reflection of “miscalculation and helplessness,” claiming that Israel had failed to achieve its intended objectives with these strikes. Nonetheless, Iran’s Supreme Leader and other top officials have vowed to hold Israel accountable for what they perceive as undue aggression.

The latest clashes between Iran and Israel add to an already tense regional situation, as Israel is currently engaged with Iran-aligned forces in both Gaza and Lebanon. The cross-border tensions have raised fears of a wider regional conflict, particularly as both nations reinforce their positions and diplomatic rhetoric.

Iran’s preparation for a retaliatory strike underscores the growing volatility in the region, with both sides ramping up military and strategic operations. Observers are closely watching how Iran’s response could impact the geopolitical landscape as the U.S. election nears, potentially drawing in wider international involvement amid heightened hostilities.