Tehran (Web Desk/Agencies): Tehran on Monday said that it will respond forcefully to Israel's recent airstrikes targeting military facilities in Iran.
In a weekly press conference, Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the country will use "all available tools" to retaliate against what it describes as actions by the "Zionist regime."
This comes after Israel's attack on Saturday, which Iran has dismissed as resulting in only limited damage.
US President Joe Biden has called for restraint from both nations, expressing concerns that escalating tensions could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Baghaei noted that the nature of Iran's response would depend on the specifics of the Israeli strikes, but he did not elaborate further on potential actions.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also weighed in, urging Iranian officials to carefully determine how to convey the nation’s strength in response to the attack.
Khamenei cautioned that the significance of the Israeli strikes should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated.
Israeli military sources reported that their air force conducted multiple waves of strikes against missile factories and other military targets in western Iran and near Tehran.
This escalation is part of an ongoing cycle of retaliatory actions between the two countries, with this strike following an Iranian missile barrage on October 1, which Israel claimed to have largely intercepted.
As the situation unfolds, there are increasing fears of a broader conflict drawing in the US and other regional powers, given the complex web of alliances and enmities in the area.
The recent events have left the Middle East on edge, with many watching closely for any further developments in this escalating confrontation.