Initially, after Israel's bold Saturday attack on Iran, Iran tried to downplay it, claiming that it was weak and ineffective, but last night (Monday), they completeley changed their tune.
The commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, has also taken the place of the commander of the Quds Force, Ismail Kaani. He announced that the Israeli attack was a sign of "miscalculation and helplessness ... we will not sit idly by, and the response against the Zionists will be severe. Our reaction will be [so bad that it is] unimaginable."
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Arakchi also chimed in, saying "We will not leave the Israeli attack unanswered".
The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei echoed these sentiments, saying, "We are using all available means to respond firmly and effectively to the aggression of the Zionist regime.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian said: "We do not seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country. [We] will provide an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime."
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, warned Iran that if it carries out actions against Israel or US personnel in the region "There will be serious consequences. We will not hesitate to act in self-defense. Let there be no confusion. The US does not want to see further escalation. We believe that this should be the end of the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran."
About two weeks ago, Iran threatened that if Israel attacks strategic facilities in the country - they would launch a counter attack in which they would target oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
