Iran’s religious leader wants considered response to Israeli attack

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for a considered approach following the Israeli attack on military sites on Saturday.

“How the strength and will of the Iranian people should be made clear to [Israel] is for those responsible to decide,” Khamenei said on Sunday at an event in the capital Tehran, according to the state news agency IRNA.

“What should be done is what is in the best interests of this people and country,” the 85-year-old religious leader added.

Khamenei’s words following the Israeli airstrikes are seen as comparatively moderate.

In the context of the Middle East conflict and following the killing of Iranian generals or leading allies, the head of state has also vowed revenge in recent months.

His statements are regarded as the last word by which both the Iranian government and military are guided.

According to official sources, four soldiers were killed in the Israeli attack, and several military sites, such as radar installations, were damaged.