Iran Vows ‘Crushing Response,’ Houthis Rally Behind Tehran after US-Israeli Attack
The Iranian Supreme National Security Council threatened a “crushing response” to the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran.
In a statement on Saturday, the council confirmed that Iran’s armed forces had “commenced a decisive response to these hostile acts.”
“The enemy thinks that the innocent nation of Iran will surrender to their despicable demands with these cowardly actions. The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have launched a crushing response to their vicious actions,” the statement noted.
Additionally, an Iranian military spokesperson vowed to “teach Israel and America a lesson they have never experienced in their history,” according to a statement reported by Fars News Agency.
“Any base that helps America and Israel will be the target of the Iranian armed forces,” the spokesperson added.
In a phone call with Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed his Iraqi counterpart that Iran will target US military bases in the region, including one in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region.
Araghchi affirmed that these attacks “were not targeting the countries involved, but were limited to military sites,” according to a statement published by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
In a statement, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced that in the first phase of the counterattack, dubbed “Operation Truthful Promise 4,” the Iranian army hit the command of the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain, and US bases in Qatar and the UAE, in addition to military targets in Israel.
Furthermore, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen announced they would resume missile and drone attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea in support of Iran, the AP reported citing two Houthi officials.
On Saturday, the US and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran. The Pentagon dubbed the US campaign “Operation Epic Fury,” while Israel called its mission “Operation Lion’s Roar.”
