Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
File photo: A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on October 27, 2024, shows him addressing the crowd during a meeting in Tehran. Khamenei said that Israel's attack on Iran "should neither be exaggerated nor minimised", a day after Israeli warplanes struck military bases and missile sites in several Iranian provinces. Image Credit: AFP

TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday warned of a "harsh and regretful" response to Saturday's deadly Israeli attack on Iranian military facilities, local media reported after officials and media initially downplayed the strikes.

"The recent action of the Zionist regime in attacking parts of our country was a desperate move and the Islamic Republic of Iran will give it a harsh and regretful response," said Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, a senior aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, quoted by Tasnim news agency.