DUBAI, October 28. /TASS/. Iran will not give up its right to respond to the Israeli strike Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei has said.
"Iran will not give up its right to respond to aggression committed by the Zionist regime. This is Iran's duty, which is enshrined in international law and the legislation of any country facing aggression or use of force. We are resolute and serious in our intention to respond properly to the Zionist attack. This will happen when the armed forces and officials make the appropriate decision," Baghaei told a televised news conference.
"Our armed forces are constantly monitoring all of the Zionist regime’s actions. Our air defense systems intervened in time and repelled most of the Zionist regime's projectiles," he added.
Baghaei did not respond to a question what country might have informed Iran of Israel's impending attack. Earlier, Emirati TV channel Sky News Arabia quoted a source as saying that Russia had allegedly warned Iran hours in advance of an impending Israeli strike.
On October 26, the Israel Defense Forces said it was attacking military facilities in Iran in response to "numerous continuous strikes." Iran's air defense forces said in a statement that military installations in Ilam, Tehran and Khuzestan provinces were attacked, but the damage was insignificant and the country's air defense systems were able to successfully repel the main strike. Iran's army informed that at least four Iranian soldiers were killed in the strike.
On October 1, Iran carried out a massive missile strike against the Jewish state in response to the assassinations of key figures in the leadership of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (elite units of the Iranian Armed Forces). Israel's General Staff promised to retaliate. For his part, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that Iran's retaliatory strikes against Israel would be stepped up.