JUST IN: Iran vows ‘crushing’ retaliation after US, Israel strikes

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Iran has threatened to launch a strong response following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, warning that any retaliation would be “crushing”.

Explosions were reported on Saturday in several Iranian cities, including Kermanshah, Lorestan, Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj, raising fears of a widening conflict in the region.

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, defended the operation. He said: “The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel.”

The latest strikes come months after a 12-day aerial confrontation between Iran and Israel in June. The development also follows repeated warnings from Washington and Tel Aviv over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities.

An Iranian official told Reuters that authorities in Tehran are preparing a counteroffensive that would be severe in scale.

Reports indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran at the time of the attack. He has since been moved to a secure location.

Reacting to the strikes, the head of the National Security Commission of Iran’s parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, issued a warning to both countries. “We warned you! Now you have started down a path which end is no longer in your control,” he said.

Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump said the action was taken to safeguard American interests.

“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world,” he posted.

The situation has heightened global concern, as tensions continue to rise with both sides signalling further military action.