Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, warned Israel that Iran is prepared for retaliation following Tehran's aerial barrage, while Israel's defense minister said that the upcoming strike would demonstrate Israel's might to the Islamic Republic.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, Eslami said: “If the enemy makes even the slightest attack on our [nuclear] facilities, we will deliver a crushing response."
He told the cabinet that "our defense and security capabilities have always been prepared to confront such threats with vigilance".
Since at least 2010, Israel has allegedly conducted dozens of attacks inside Iran, targeting sensitive nuclear and military installations and carrying out assassinations of individuals deemed a threat.
The attacks became more frequent after July 2020, when a massive explosion occurred at the Natanz uranium enrichment site in central Iran, destroying one of the buildings.
In November that year, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a key figure in Iran’s nuclear program, was assassinated in a roadside attack near Tehran. Western and Israeli intelligence had long suspected Fakhrizadeh of being the architect of Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program.
Iran has long said its nuclear program is peaceful. The UN's nuclear chief, Rafael Grossi, said this year that Iran is "weeks not months" away from a nuclear weapon while a third of the UN's inspectors have been barred.
Eslami's latest warning comes as Israel prepares its retaliatory attack after the Islamic Republic launched 181 ballistic missiles towards Israel earlier this month.
The latest bombardment on Israel, the second this year, saw Iran target the likes of intelligence and military sites, with damage caused to civilian areas including a school.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Air Force crews at Hatzerim Air Base the counterattack would levy "a heavy price".
"After we attack Iran, everyone will understand your might," he said, in a video shared on X.
US President Joe Biden made clear that while he supports a retaliation, he will not support an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country's military leadership, have since remained tight-lipped on the nature and timing of the retaliation.
The head of Iran's Passive Defense Organization, Gholamreza Jalali, lauded the escalating conflict between the Islamic Republic and its archenemy, Israel.
“This year, we are in a situation where the axis of resistance is engaging with the Zionist regime and its allies," he said. In the wake of the Gaza war, Israel is fighting threats from Iran's proxies around the region across its borders.
Additionally, Israel says it foiled five Iran-backed plots this month, with spy cells allegedly attempting high level assassinations on political, military and nuclear figures.
In a statement reported by the IRGC-affiliated news outlet Fars, he said that eight new defense plans have been devised and endorsed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Jalali also discussed efforts to bolster Iran’s infrastructure against potential cyber-attacks and sabotage.
Referring to recent incidents including the explosions of Hezbollah pagers which saw at least 1,500 operatives in Iran's largest militia taken out of action, he noted that the Passive Defense Organization had taken steps to prevent similar attacks in Iran.
“Since last year, we have been insisting on the use of artificial intelligence to prevent such incidents within the country,” Jalali stated as the importance of defense against cyber attacks grows.
However, Iran remains vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks. In September, Iran's Cybersecurity Strategic Management Center issued a red alert for financial, monetary, and communication sectors, and an orange alert for other sectors.
"Organizations are advised to maintain round-the-clock availability of technical teams and rapid response units due to the potential for cyber attacks," a statement said.
