Senior Iranian military official says Israel should expect ‘crushing’ response

Iran has never initiated a war but will not remain silent in the face of aggression, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Friday, following Israeli strikes on Iran.

In a post on X, Mohajerani described the attack as a "cowardly miscalculation" and "a sign of fear of our great nation."

She added: “The calm and vigilance of our people is our national asset. Iran is not comparable to any other country, and its response will be decisive, legitimate, and at the right time.”

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have both condemned Israel’s military action against Iran, calling it a violation of international norms and a threat to regional stability.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the attack as a “flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security,” and called for restraint and de-escalation.

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said it “condemns in the strongest terms” Israel’s military strikes and expressed “deep concern over the repercussions on regional security and stability.”

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed on Friday that Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site was not affected by the Israeli airstrikes.

“Further contacts with Iranian authorities confirm that the Isfahan nuclear site has not been impacted,” the IAEA official X account quoted Grossi as saying.

Israel did not inform France in advance of its strikes on Iran, its ambassador to Paris said Friday, citing a shift in the bilateral relationship. “The French state for a certain period is not as close as it was before,” Ambassador Joshua Zarka told RTL radio.

“It’s an ally but not to the point to be pre-warned of such an operation.” He added that the strikes, which he said are expected to continue for days, aim to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

US bases should not be overlooked in any Iranian retaliation following the Israeli airstrikes, Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Iran’s ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper, said on state television.
“All the evidence shows that the Zionist regime is not acting alone,” he said. “We must not disregard US bases in this matter.”