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

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has fixed a measured consequence to Israeli strikes connected nan country, saying nan onslaught should not beryllium "exaggerated aliases downplayed" while refraining from pledging contiguous retaliation.

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

On Saturday, Israel said it had targeted subject sites successful respective regions of Iran successful retaliation for Iranian attacks, including a barrage of almost 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 nan strikes had "severely damaged Iran’s defence capacity and its expertise to nutrient missiles".

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

"This authorities must understand a elemental principle: whoever hurts us, we wounded him."

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

In his first nationalist comments since nan attack, Khamenei said: "It is up to nan authorities to find really to convey nan powerfulness and will of nan Iranian group to nan Israeli authorities and to return actions that service nan interests of this federation and country."

President Pezeshkian mostly echoed nan ultimate leader's language, telling a furniture meeting: "We do not activity war, but we will take sides nan authorities 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 move not to respond successful bid to break nan rhythm of escalation betwixt some Middle Eastern countries, which they fearfulness could lead to all-out location war.

Iranian media has carried footage of regular life continuing arsenic normal and framing nan "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 nan Palestinian equipped group Hamas successful Gaza.

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

In Gaza, 8 group were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected a school-turned-shelter successful nan al-Shati exile camp. Palestinian media and nan Reuters news agency said 3 of nan dormant were Palestinian journalists.

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