DUBAI, October 2. /TASS/. Iran's massive missile strike on Israel has been completed, but if the Jewish state retaliates, a new Iranian attack would be even more extensive, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday.
"Earlier this evening [October 1], we exercised self-defense under Article 51 of the UN charter, targeting solely military and security sites in charge of genocide in Gaza and Lebanon," he wrote on his X social network account.
"Our operation [may be] considered complete until the Israeli regime decides to resort to a new [act of] retaliation,". "In that case, our response will be stronger and more powerful."
"We did so after exercising tremendous restraint for almost two months, to give space for a ceasefire in Gaza," the Iranian top diplomat continued. "Our action is concluded unless Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation, in that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful."
"Israel’s enablers now have heightened responsibility to rein in the warmongers in Tel Aviv instead of getting involved in their folly," Araghchi added.
On the night of October 1, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, elite units of the Iranian Armed Forces) delivered a massive strike against Israel with the possible use of ballistic and hypersonic missiles. An air alert was declared throughout Israel and civilians were ordered to take shelter. The IRGC later stated that 90% of the launched missiles hit their designated targets.
Israeli authorities reported earlier that Iran delivered a massive missile attack. According to the most recent reports, about 180 missiles were launched toward Israel, but most of them, according to Israel, were intercepted.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Iran's massive missile attack on his country as a ‘big mistake’ and said Tehran would pay for it. "Iran made a big mistake today and will pay for it. The Iranian regime does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to take revenge on our enemies," he said.
Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri said later that Iran delivered strikes on two Israeli Air Force bases and the headquarters of Israel's Mossad intelligence service.