Iran’s determination to defend itself knows no bounds, said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday following Israeli attacks during the night on some of the country’s military targets.
„I think we have proven that there are no limits to our determination to defend ourselves,” Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with the Iranian supreme leader’s website, as reported by AFP.
This is the first reaction of a senior Iranian official after Israeli airstrikes carried out during the night against military installations in Iran.
The attack, which targeted "military sites in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan (southwest), and Ilam (west)," caused "limited damage," as indicated by the Iranian army, adding that two soldiers were killed, without specifying where.
"We will defend our land and homeland. I believe everyone has already seen this," Minister Araghchi assured.
Hezbollah's Reaction
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah on Saturday described the Israeli attacks on Iran as a "dangerous escalation" in the region, stating that Washington bears full responsibility for the attack launched by its ally.
"Hezbollah strongly condemns the treacherous Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and considers it a dangerous escalation in the entire region," Hezbollah said in a statement, as reported by AFP.
The United States "bears full responsibility for the massacres, tragedies, and pain caused by Israel," Hezbollah added.
On Saturday, Israel publicly announced for the first time that it attacked Iran with pre-dawn strikes against rocket production facilities, surface-to-air missile batteries, and other anti-aircraft systems.
The United States was notified before the operation was launched. After several hours, the Israeli army announced the end of the attack, specifying that missile production facilities were targeted.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli attacks, calling them "a violation of Iran's sovereignty and a serious threat to regional security."
The Lebanese ministry called on the UN Security Council to "put an end to Israel's military escalation" in the region.