Iran’s supreme leader says attack on Israel was the “least punishment”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Tuesday’s Iranian attack on Israel was the “least punishment.”

Iran will attack Israel again “if needs be,” he said in a Friday speech in Tehran.

“The brilliant action of our armed forces a couple of nights ago was completely legal and legitimate,” Khamenei said.

Keeping with Iranian Friday prayer traditions, he delivered his speech with what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle next to him.

Khamenei dedicated a large part of his speech to Hezbollah and Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel in Beirut last Friday.

He also praised Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and described it as “legitimate.”

The second part of his sermon was delivered in Arabic, to appeal to Lebanese and Palestinian audiences, he said. “Israel will never defeat Hamas and Hezbollah,” Khamenei said.

“The people of Palestine have the right — in the face of the enemy who has taken over their land, their home, their farms and impacted their life — to stand up for themselves,” he said.

Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel on Tuesday in what it said was a response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others.