Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for a measured stance regarding recent Israeli strikes, advising that the attack "should not be exaggerated or downplayed" while avoiding promises of immediate retaliation.
President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran would deliver an "appropriate response" to the attack, which claimed the lives of at least four soldiers, but stressed that Tehran is not seeking war.
The Israeli military stated that its strikes on Saturday targeted military installations across several Iranian regions, in response to Iran’s launch of nearly 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel on October 1.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes had severely weakened Iran’s air defense and missile production systems. "We have significantly damaged Iran’s defense capabilities and its ability to manufacture missiles," he added.
The attack was precise and powerful and achieved its objectives,” Netanyahu said during a ceremony honoring the victims of the 7 October Hamas attacks last year.
“This regime must understand one thing: whoever harms us will be harmed in return.”
Iranian officials have publicly downplayed the impact of the strikes, claiming most incoming missiles were intercepted, with the rest causing only minimal damage to air defense systems.
In his first remarks since the attack, Khamenei stated: “It is up to the authorities to decide how best to demonstrate the strength and resolve of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime and to take actions that align with the nation’s interests.”
Khamenei’s response was notably more restrained than in the past, where he had threatened to “flatten Haifa and Tel Aviv” or to retaliate “tenfold” against any Israeli strike. Delegating responsibility to “authorities” was seen as unusual for the supreme leader, who has historically wielded direct control over key political decisions for 35 years. Some analysts suggest this shift may aim to avoid appearing weak or to deflect blame if a retaliation effort falters.
President Pezeshkian echoed Khamenei’s measured tone during a cabinet meeting: “While we do not seek war, we will defend our nation’s rights and sovereignty.”
The Israeli strikes were narrower in scope than many had anticipated, with the U.S. reportedly urging Israel to avoid targeting oil or nuclear facilities, a recommendation Netanyahu’s government seemed to follow.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi revealed on Sunday that Tehran had “received signs” of the attack hours before it occurred. “We had indications that an attack might happen overnight,” Araghchi told reporters, though he declined to elaborate further.
Western governments have urged Iran to avoid retaliatory measures, fearing a cycle of escalation could spiral into full-scale regional conflict.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media highlighted footage of daily life continuing as usual, portraying the limited damage as a sign of resilience - an effort, analysts say, to reassure the public and maintain stability.
Fighting continues between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike on the town of Sidon in southern Lebanon killed at least eight people, according to local authorities. Later, Lebanese officials reported that Israeli strikes across the south had killed at least 21 people.
In Gaza, nine people were killed when an Israeli strike hit a school-turned-shelter in the al-Shati refugee camp, according to Palestinian officials. Local media and Reuters reported that three of the dead were Palestinian journalists, citing government sources.
Meanwhile, in Israel, a man was killed, and at least 30 others injured, when a truck rammed into a bus stop near a military base north of Tel Aviv. Authorities labeled the incident a suspected terror attack.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi proposed a two-day ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday, suggesting it could include the exchange of four Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners.
Al-Sisi also urged that negotiations resume within ten days to explore the possibility of a longer-term ceasefire.
However, speaking to the BBC Arabic Service, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri reiterated the group's unchanged demands. Hamas continues to call for a full ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a major prisoner exchange.
“Any agreement that fails to meet these conditions is meaningless,” Abu Zuhri said.
Israel’s military campaign against Hamas began after the group’s 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 others.
Since then, more than 42,924 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
