Ali Khamenei: ‘The Punishment Continues’ – First Reaction After US Bombings in Iran

Global tension escalates following the US strikes, with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issuing a stern warning. In his first statement since the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, Khamenei emphasized that ‘the punishment continues’ against Israel. Throughout the night, Iran launched new missile attacks on Israel. The supreme religious leader of Iran wrote, ‘The Zionist enemy made a grave mistake, committed a major crime. They must be punished and are being punished right now.’ His post was accompanied by an image of a skull with the Israeli flag burning. Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced they struck missile installations and other military infrastructures in western Iran on Sunday, marking the tenth day of conflict between the two adversarial nations. During these attacks, the Israeli Air Force targeted storage and launch facilities intended to harm Israel, as well as radar and military satellite infrastructure in western Iran, according to IDF reports. Three civilians were killed when an Israeli drone strike hit an ambulance in central Iran. The US State Department has advised American citizens worldwide to exercise ‘increased caution’ following US bombings on Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran’s threats of retaliation. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation called for Israel to cease its attacks on Iran, criticizing destabilization policies affecting Syria and Lebanon. However, no explicit condemnation of the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities was made.