Iran leader says Israeli attack should not be 'exaggerated or downplayed'

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has fixed a measured effect to Israeli strikes connected the country, saying the onslaught should not beryllium "exaggerated oregon downplayed" portion refraining from pledging contiguous retaliation.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would "give an due response" to the attack, which killed astatine slightest 4 soldiers, adding that Tehran did not question war.

Israel said it targeted subject sites successful respective regions of Iran connected Saturday successful retaliation for Iranian attacks, including a barrage of astir 200 ballistic missiles fired towards Israel connected 1 October.

On Sunday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had crippled Iranian aerial defence and rocket accumulation systems. He said the strikes had "severely damaged Iran’s defence capableness and its quality to nutrient missiles".

"The onslaught was precise and almighty and achieved its goals," Netanyahu said astatine a ceremonial commemorating the victims of past year's 7 October attacks.

"This authorities indispensable recognize a elemental principle: whoever hurts us, we wounded him."

Official Iranian sources person publically played down the interaction of the attack, saying astir missiles were intercepted and those that weren't caused lone constricted harm to aerial defence systems.

In his archetypal nationalist comments since the attack, Khamenei said: "It is up to the authorities to find however to convey the powerfulness and volition of the Iranian radical to the Israeli authorities and to instrumentality actions that service the interests of this federation and country."

President Pezeshkian mostly echoed the ultimate leader's language, telling a furniture meeting: "We bash not question war, but we volition support the rights of our federation and country."

The Israeli strikes were much constricted than immoderate observers had been expecting. The US had publically pressured Israel not to deed lipid and atomic facilities, proposal seemingly heeded by Tel Aviv.

Western countries person urged Iran successful crook not to respond successful bid to interruption the rhythm of escalation betwixt some Middle Eastern countries, which they fearfulness could pb to all-out determination war.

Iranian media has carried footage of regular beingness continuing arsenic mean and framing the "limited" harm arsenic a victory, a prime analysts said was intended to reassure Iranians.

Fighting continued betwixt Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah successful Lebanon and betwixt Israel and the Palestinian equipped radical Hamas successful Gaza.

On Sunday, an Israeli aerial onslaught connected the municipality of Sidon successful confederate Lebanon killed astatine slightest 8 people, according to section authorities.

In Gaza, 8 radical were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected a school-turned-shelter successful the al-Shati exile camp. Palestinian media and the Reuters quality bureau said 3 of the dormant were Palestinian journalists.

And successful Israel, a antheral was killed and astatine slightest 30 injured aft a motortruck deed a autobus halt adjacent an Israeli subject basal northbound of Tel Aviv, successful what authorities said was a suspected panic attack.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi connected Sunday projected a two-day ceasefire successful Gaza, which would impact an speech of 4 Israeli hostages for immoderate Palestinian prisoners.

He said that wrong 10 days of implementing specified a impermanent ceasefire, talks should resume with the purpose of reaching a much imperishable one.

But speaking to the BBC's Arabic Service, a elder Hamas authoritative said its conditions for a ceasefire - rejected by Israel for months - person not changed.

Sami Abu Zuhri said the Palestinian militant radical continued to request a implicit ceasefire, a afloat Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a superior captive swap deal.

"Any statement that does not warrant these conditions holds nary value," helium added.

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