Iran's Response To Israeli Aggression Based On Legitimate Rights - President Pezeshkian

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country's missile attack on Israel was based on legitimate rights against the Zionist regime's aggression.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday evening launched dozens of missiles against Israeli military bases, including one which houses F-35 aircraft.

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The IRGC used hypersonic Fattah missiles to destroy the radar of the vaunted Israeli Arrow anti-missile systems, Iranian media reported.

"In response to the martyrdom of (Hamas chief) Ismail Haniyeh, (Hezbollah leader) Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforushan, we targeted the heart of the occupied territories," the IRGC said in a statement.

Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in Tehran after the Palestinian leader attended the swearing-in ceremony of Pezeshkian in July.

Israelis have carried out many assassinations in the region apart from carrying out relentless bombings in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen,

In a dangerous escalation last week, the Israel military assassinated Nasrallah, Nilforushan and other Hezbollah leaders, wiping out an entire densely populated southern Beirut neighbourhood by reportedly dropping 85 American bombs, each weighing 1,000 kilogrammes.

The Iranian president said the missile action on Tuesday night was in defence of the interests and citizens of Iran.

"Let (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu know that Iran is not a warmongering country, but it stands firmly against any threat. This is only a glimpse of our power. Do not enter into a conflict against Iran," Pezeshkian wrote on his X account.

Iran has warned of further action if Israel, which has killed about 42,000 people in Gaza and more than 1,000 in Lebanon in almost 12 months, carries out any attack against Iran.

"Iran's legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime -- which involved targeting Iranian nationals and interests and infringing upon the national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran -- has been duly carried out," Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations said in a statement.

"Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue. Regional states and the Zionists’ supporters are advised to part ways with the regime," it said.

Israel said Iran fired about 180 missiles but claimed that a large number of them were intercepted by its air defence systems.

Western countries, mostly muted on Israeli attacks across the region, were quick to condemn Iran's attacks on Israeli military targets.

The US is sending more troops and warplanes to the Middle East to support Israel.

-- BERNAMA