‘Blood for Blood’: Iran Vows Retaliation After Deadly Israeli Airstrike

Tel Aviv: Iran’s military has vowed strong retaliation against Israel after a deadly airstrike on Iranian soil early Friday killed several senior military officials, including Major General Hossein Salami, the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian state-linked media.

Hours after the strike, Iran broke its silence with a warning of retaliation. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Iran’s military wrote, “Blood for blood.”

The Israeli Defence Forces had earlier launched a massive aerial assault called Operation Nation of Lions, targeting Iran’s key nuclear and military sites. Israel claimed the move was in response to growing threats from Iran’s nuclear programme.

Khamenei Warns of ‘Severe Punishment’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also issued a statement, calling the attack a "crime" by the Zionist regime and promising a harsh response.

“That 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,” Khamenei said.

He added that several senior commanders and scientists were killed in the attack, but vowed their successors would continue their mission.

“To the great Iranian nation, the Zionist regime has committed a crime in our dear country today at dawn with its satanic, bloodstained hands. By targeting residential areas, it has revealed its malicious nature more clearly than ever before,” he added.