‘Punishment’ of Israel completed, no intention to continue – Tehran

Iran has no intention of continuing its military operation against Israel, which included massive drone and missile strikes over the weekend, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, has said.

On Saturday night, Tehran launched an “extensive” barrage on the Jewish state, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimated to have included more than 300 missiles and kamikaze drones. The attack came in retaliation for what Iran claims to be an Israeli airstrike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria earlier this month, which killed several senior Iranian military officers.

Speaking in the wake of the attack on Sunday, Bagheri explained that the reason for the attack was the “Zionist regime crossed the red line” in a way which cannot be tolerated.

Israel’s actions, the general continued, could not have gone unanswered. “The Supreme Leader also said that this punishment should be carried out and, thank God, this operation was carried out with the efforts of the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guards [Corps] and the help of other armed forces.”

The chief of the General Staff added that Iran’s military targeted a “large information center” that provided intel to Israel and Nevatim Airbase, which it said hosted US-designed F-35 fighters involved in the raid on the consulate in Damascus.

While both of these bases were destroyed, Tehran did not attack population centers, the general claimed. Israel, however, previously said that 99% of the Iranian drones and missiles had been shot down, acknowledging only minor damage to one base.