Iran’s Supreme Leader escalated his rhetoric, warning of a “crushing response” to the country’s enemies – including the US – following Israel’s missile strike on the country a week ago.
“Enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States, will undoubtedly receive a crushing response for their actions against Iran and the Resistance Front,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech in Tehran on Saturday, state television reported.
Without offering more detail, Khamenei said hostile actions against the Islamic Republic “wouldn’t be forgotten.”
It was a possible reference to Israel’s Oct. 26 attack on military targets across Iran that killed five people, including a civilian. Israeli defense forces struck with more than 100 fighter jets, although there was no confirmation of major damage to oil or nuclear facilities.
Read more: Israel Strikes Targets Across Iran, Expanding Their Conflict
Saturday’s remarks marked a shift from Khamenei’s more measured tone shortly after Israel’s strike, which he characterized as a “miscalculation.” At the time he cautioned against exaggerating or underestimating the significance of the attack, without any explicit threat of retaliation.
Join business’s brightest minds and boldest leaders at the Fortune Global Forum, convening November 11 and 12 in New York City. Thought-provoking sessions and off-the-record discussions feature Fortune 500 CEOs, former Cabinet members and global Ambassadors, and 7x world champion Tom Brady–among many others.
See the full agenda here, or request your invitation.