Iranian Army Chief of Staff, General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, affirmed that Iran’s drone and missile strikes on Israel successfully targeted their objectives. According to ISNA, he made this statement on Sunday, April 14, asserting that Israel has been duly reprimanded as demanded by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. However, he stressed that Tehran has no intention of prolonging retaliatory actions against Israel. Bagheri labeled the drone and missile assaults on Israeli territory as “Operation Wahad-e Sadeq” or “Operation True Promise” and condemned Israel’s crossing of the red line by attacking Iran’s consulate in Damascus, an action Tehran cannot tolerate.
Bagheri stated, “This action warranted a response, and the leadership of the revolution reiterated the necessity of this punishment, carried out with the assistance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other armed forces.” Highlighting that Tehran’s response would escalate if Israel reacts to the recent attacks, Bagheri warned of more severe repercussions. He disclosed that Tehran conveyed a message to the United States through the Swiss embassy, cautioning that Israeli involvement in potential future actions would endanger their bases and personnel, leading to repercussions.
In the Israeli assault on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, at least seven senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed. In retaliation, Iran launched over 200 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles into Israeli territory on Saturday night, April 13. However, the Israeli army claimed to have intercepted and neutralized 99% of the missiles and drones launched by Iran.