Iran’s Supreme Leader vows harsh response to Israeli strikes

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a “severe punishment” for what he described as a “crime” committed by Israel.

In a message addressed to the Iranian people hours after the beginning of the Israeli attacks, Khamenei accused Israel of deliberately striking residential areas, revealing what he called the “evil and bloodstained nature” of the regime.

The Iranian leader said that the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces will not allow the attack to go unanswered.

“[Zionist] regime should anticipate a severe punishment. By God’s grace, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces won’t let them go unpunished.”

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. To the great Iranian nation! Zionist regime has committed a crime in our dear country today at dawn with its satanic, bloodstained hands. It has revealed its malicious nature even more than before by targeting residential areas.

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) June 13, 2025

Khamenei also confirmed that several senior commanders and nuclear scientists were killed in the attack, adding that their successors would immediately continue their duties.

The statement came hours after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a series of airstrikes that hit multiple targets inside Iran, including the Natanz nuclear facility and other strategic sites. Iranian state media reported casualties among high-ranking IRGC officers and nuclear personnel.

Iran has since shut down its airspace and signaled that a military response is imminent, amid heightened tensions across the region.