Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday blamed the United States and other European nations as the "root cause" of conflicts and wars in the Middle East. This came after Iran fired over 180 missiles in its largest-ever attack on Israel, in retaliation for Israeli strikes targeting Tehran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"The root of the problem in our region, these conflicts and wars, is the presence of those who claim to advocate peace in the region. That is, the United States and some European countries," he said on social media platform X. "If the villainy of the US and certain European countries is removed from this region, undoubtedly these conflicts and wars will be completely eliminated."
Khamenei also pledged to remove Iran's enemies with the "hard effort of the Iranian people, inspiration drawn from the Islamic Revolution, and collaboration with other nations". Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday said they launched missiles towards Israel and warned that if Israel retaliated Tehran's response would be "more crushing and destructive".
Where is Iran's Supreme Leader?
Tensions in the Middle East peaked Israeli troops launched ground raids into Lebanon, in the biggest escalation of regional warfare since fighting erupted in Gaza a year ago. Israel's apparent ground raids in Lebanon follow its deadly detonation of booby-trapped Hezbollah pagers, two weeks of airstrikes, and then its killing on Friday of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, one of the heaviest blows in decades to the group.
Following Nasrallah's death, Khamenei was moved to a secure location. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that the Supreme leader remained in the secure location after Tehran fired missiles at Israel. Khamenei expressed grief over Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Nasrallah's killing and added that his death is deeply felt, terming it a major event.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Israel would face a harsh reaction if it did not stop what he called "its crimes". "If the Zionist regime (Israel) does not stop its crimes, it will face harsher reactions," he told state media as he left for a scheduled trip to Qatar.
US, Israel promise retaliation for Iranian attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that arch foe Iran would pay for its missile attack against Israel on Tuesday and the US expressed full backing for its longtime ally. "Iran made a big mistake tonight - and it will pay for it," Netanyahu said at the outset of a political-security meeting, according to a statement.
Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Iran's attack was a "severe and dangerous escalation". No injuries were reported in Israel, but one man was killed in the occupied West Bank, authorities there said. US Navy warships fired about a dozen interceptors against Iranian missiles headed toward Israel, the Pentagon said.
The White House similarly promised "severe consequences" for Iran and spokesman Jake Sullivan told a Washington briefing the US would "work with Israel to make that the case." Hamas, the Iran-backed militant group in Gaza, praised the Iranian missile strikes, saying they avenged Israeli assassinations of three militant leaders, including Nasrallah.
(with inputs from agencies)
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