Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei made his first comments Sunday since Israel’s missile attack on Iran last week, urging the world to stand against Israel’s “war crimes.”
“The actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza and Lebanon are among the most horrific war crimes. War is difficult, but it has its rules and laws, and limits,” Khamanei said in a series of posts made to social media in English.
“The world must stand against Zionist regime to prevent these crimes from being committed in Gaza and Lebanon. A global political, economic, and if necessary military coalition must be formed against the evil regime that is currently perpetrating the most horrific war crimes.”
Khamenei added that Israel made the “wrong move” when it attacked Iran two nights ago, killing at least four people. He vowed that the Iranian military would assess how to respond to the missile strike.
“We must make them understand the power, determination, and initiative of the Iranian people,” Khamenei said.
“Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran. They don’t know Iran. They still haven’t been able to correctly understand the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people. We need to make them understand these things.”
Khamenei’s comments came as Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on social media that Israel would receive an “appropriate response.”
“We are all responsible for the pure blood of the dear martyrs of the Army and Faraja,” Aref said, also referencing a purported “terrorist attack” Iran faced that killed nearly a dozen police officers. “Surely the perpetrators of these two crimes will receive an appropriate response.”