What Happened: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to retaliate against Israel and the U.S. for their attacks on Tehran and its allied groups, warning of a strong response amidst escalating regional tensions.
What you need to know: On Saturday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to retaliate against attacks from Israel and the United States targeting Tehran and its allied groups in the region. In a speech to students in Tehran, he declared, “The enemies, both the USA and the Zionist regime, should know that they will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response to what they are doing against Iran, the Iranian nation, and the resistance front.” Khamenei was referring to the coalition of armed groups backed by Tehran, which includes Yemen’s Huthi fighters, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and the Palestinian group Hamas.
What more: Since the onset of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, regional tensions have escalated, involving these Iran-aligned groups along with others from Iraq and Syria. Following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah and Israel engaged in nearly a year of cross-border fire, and the conflict intensified on September 23 when Israel increased its military actions. Khamenei’s comments highlight Iran’s commitment to supporting its allies and responding forcefully to perceived threats from Israel and the U.S. as the situation in the region continues to deteriorate.