Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, said Friday that Israel will face “severe punishment” in retaliation for attacking the Islamic Republic, as the Iranian military suggested that the United States may also face retaliation.
The state-run IRNA news agency publicized the statement from Khamenei and also confirmed that the Israeli attack had slain top military officials and scientists.
Israel “opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to commit a crime against our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers,” Khamenei said.
The United States was also threatened by Iranian officials.
In addition, Shekarchi claimed the Israeli air strikes were carried out with U.S. support, according to IRNA.
However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States was not part of the attack.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said.
The secretary of state warned Iran against targeting U.S. interests or personnel in the region in retaliation for the attack.
“President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners,” Rubio said. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
Israeli leaders said they were targeting Iranian nuclear sites, while the IRNA report said, “Images showed damaged residential buildings in several locations in the capital.” The report also stated that women and children were reported to be among the casualties.
The Israeli air strikes occurred just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s new administration was slated for a sixth round of talks to persuade Iranians to halt nuclear production efforts.
Some Democrats applauded Trump’s diplomatic efforts while criticizing Israel’s strikes on Iran.
“I commend the Trump Administration for prioritizing diplomacy and working to curb Iran’s nuclear program, and for refraining from participating in tonight’s actions,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a statement posted on X.
“I cannot understand why Israel would launch a preemptive strike at this juncture, knowing high level diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran are scheduled for this weekend.”
He called those talks “the only viable and sustainable path to curtailing Iran’s development of nuclear weapons and protecting U.S. national security interests in the region.”
IRNA confirmed that the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami was killed during Israel’s airstrike on Tehran on June 13.
An anchor on state television said, “The news of the assassination and martyrdom of Gen. Hossein Salami was confirmed.” No further details were given.
IRNA also reported that two nuclear scientists were killed: Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi, president of the Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
