Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued a warning of “a crushing response” to the United States and Israel following a recent Israeli assault on Iranian forces.
His remarks were delivered to students on Saturday, on the eve of the 45th anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran—a historic event that cemented decades of strained relations between Tehran and Washington.
The Israeli attack, carried out on October 26, reportedly inflicted significant damage on Iranian air defenses and missile capabilities, though Iran has not confirmed the extent of the losses. According to Iranian officials, the assault claimed the lives of four Iranian soldiers and was perceived as retribution for an earlier Iranian missile strike on Israel earlier in October. That initial Iranian strike was, in turn, a response to the deaths of prominent figures within Hezbollah and Hamas—armed groups allied with Tehran and actively opposed to Israel—as well as a senior Iranian commander.
Khamenei did not shy away from reinforcing Iran’s position, reiterating that adversaries such as Israel and the US would not escape retaliation. Iran’s enemies “will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran, the Iranian people, and the resistance front,” Khamenei said. He was referring to the “axis of resistance,” a term used to describe Iran’s network of allied groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and several militias in Iraq and Syria. Many of these groups have been designated as terrorist organisations by the US and other Western nations.
The intensifying conflict comes amid Israel’s response to the October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of more than 250 others into Gaza. Israel has since launched an extensive military operation in Gaza, which, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, has resulted in over 43,300 Palestinian casualties.
Israel’s offensive has also extended to Hezbollah in Lebanon, where cross-border skirmishes have been ongoing since the Hamas assault. This escalation led Israel to mount attacks against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, aiming to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of northern Israeli residents displaced by the escalating conflict. Lebanese authorities report that over 2,800 people have died in Lebanon, with approximately 1.2 million people displaced due to Israeli airstrikes and shelling. Meanwhile, more than 60 Israeli citizens have reportedly been killed in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights from Hezbollah-fired rockets, drones, and missiles.
The recent exchange underscores the persistent volatility in relations between Iran and the US, which have remained fraught since November 4, 1979, when Iranian protesters stormed the US embassy in Tehran, detaining over 50 American diplomats and embassy staff. This event catalysed a 444-day hostage crisis that has left a lasting legacy on US-Iranian relations.
As the anniversary of this historic incident approaches, Khamenei’s words reflect the enduring mistrust between Iran and both the US and Israel. Iran’s alliance with armed groups across the Middle East, and the “axis of resistance,” continues to serve as a tool for countering Western influence and pressuring regional rivals. For Israel, containing this network of forces remains central to its security strategy as it navigates a challenging and increasingly multifaceted conflict landscape.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
