Missile Attack is Self-Defense – Iran Warns of Crushing Attacks if Israel Retaliates

The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended his country’s “legitimate self-defense​​​​​​​ rights” following the missile strikes on Israel on Tuesday, stressing that they were a “decisive response” to Israel’s “aggression”.

Pezeshkian went on to say in a statement published on X that the missile attacks were “in defense of the interests and citizens of Iran.”

“Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not a belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat. This is only a corner of our power,” the Iranian president said according to the statement.

“Do not enter into a conflict with Iran,” he warned.

Self-Defense

The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on his part, stated that Iran exercised “self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, targeting solely military & security sites in charge of genocide in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Araghchi said that Iran exercised its right to self-defense after a long period of restraint.

“We did so after exercising tremendous restraint for almost two months, to give space for a ceasefire in Gaza,” he stressed.

The Iranian foreign minister announced that the Iranian missile attacks are concluded, “unless Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation.”

He warned that in the case of Israeli retaliation then Tehran’s response would be “stronger and more powerful.”

“Israel’s enablers now have a heightened responsibility to rein in the warmongers in Tel Aviv instead of getting involved in their folly,” he ended.

In parallel, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement that the missile attack was a “legal, rational, and legitimate” response to the “terrorist acts” of Israel.

Bitterness of Restraint

Abdolrahim Mousavi, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army reiterated the foreign minister’s statement regarding the restraint Iran has upheld for a long time.

“We have endured the bitterness of restraint for a while, but we have seen that this is not a suitable option,” he stated.

He warned Israel in case of retaliation of severe consequences.

“If the Zionists make additional mistakes, we will respond more severely, and in that case, we may decide to destroy their infrastructure,” he warned.

“The United States must receive an important message before the Zionist regime, that if the Israeli entity continues its evil, it will be completely destroyed,” he added.

True Promise 2
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the True Promise 2 operation, codenamed ‘Ya Rasul Allah’ aimed to target with 200 missiles “several military bases in occupied Palestine.”

Major General Mohammed Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, advised Israel of restraint.

“If the Zionist regime is not restrained and acts against Iran, we will target all its infrastructure,” he warned.

Bagheri revealed that Iran has endured “a difficult period of restraint” following the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, in Tehran Ismail Haniyeh after repeated requests from the United States and Europe to allow for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“However, after the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and General Nilforoushan, the situation became unbearable,” he stated.

Child-Killing Zionist Regime
The General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement that the Iranian missile attacks on Israel came as a response to its violation of the sovereignty of Iranian soil and its crimes in Palestine and Lebanon and the assassinations of Palestinian leader Haniyeh and Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah and others.

“The child-killing Zionist regime, its international and regional supporters, especially its main backer, the illegitimate and rootless entity, the criminal United States, must understand that while the Islamic Republic of Iran has not initiated any war in the past 45 years, and will not do so, it will firmly and powerfully defend its legitimate rights against any aggression or violation,” the statement read.

“It will make any malicious aggressor, at any level, regret their actions,” the statement added while stressing the legitimate right of Iran to the missile attack.

The Armed Forces warned Israel that in the case of response, Tel Aviv “should expect the widespread and comprehensive destruction of its infrastructure within the occupied Palestinian lands.”

The Armed Forces statement warned as well all countries that support the Jewish state including the US of any direct intervention against Iran, stating that “their centers and interests across the region will also face a powerful and regret-inducing response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Civil Aviation on Halt

In conjunction with these developments, the spokesperson of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, Jafar Yazerlu, announced “that all flights in the country have been canceled until 10:00 a.m. (0630GMT) tomorrow for flight safety reasons,” Anadolu reported.

“Due to the situation in the region and missile attacks, all flights in the country have been canceled until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow for flight safety,” he said as reported by Iran’s official news agency (IRNA).