Iran's Khamenei gives order to prepare for an attack on Israel after US elections: Report

Amid the brewing tensions in West Asia, reports are emerging that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given orders to prepare a strike on Israel. According to The New York Times, three Iranian officials said that the decision was made after Khamenei was briefed about the extent of damage caused by the Israeli strikes on Iran last week.

At that time, the Israeli military stated that the “precise attacks” on the Iranian military targets took place in retaliation to Tehran’s missile attack on October 1. As per the Iranian officials, during the meeting, Khamenei insisted that ignoring the Israeli strikes would be equivalent to “admitting defeat.”

Shortly after the Israeli strikes last week, the United States and other countries have been urging both Iran and Israel to end the back-and-forth. US President Joe Biden said that the latest strikes should be the final between the two nations.

An Iranian strike might come after US presidential elections

The Iranian official told The New York Times that the strikes are likely to happen after the November 5 US Presidential Elections. Earlier, Khamenei’s top aide Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani warned of a “harsh and regretful” response to Israel’s strike. “The recent action of the Zionist regime in attacking parts of our country was a desperate move and the Islamic Republic of Iran will give it a harsh and regretful response,” the Iranian cleric told Tasnim News agency.

Golpayegani went on to laud Iran’s air defence performance in “preventing the entry of the Zionist regime fighters into the territory” and said damage from the strikes was “minimal.” Shortly after the Israeli attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami said Israel made a mistake and will see Iran’s reaction that will “surpass imagination.” He claimed that the Jewish nation was wrong to believe that it could change the balance of power in the region by launching a few missiles.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu sent a clear message to Iran while delivering a speech at the graduation ceremony of IDF cadets. He said that Israel’s primary goal to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear capability remains unchanged. “The bravado of the Iranian regime cannot mask the simple fact that Israel today has a greater freedom to operate in Iran than ever before,” he said.

With inputs from agencies.