President Raeisi hails Iran’s anti-Israel retaliatory strikes as ‘source of national pride’

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has praised as a source of national pride the Islamic Republic’s daring strikes last month on the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the regime’s earlier aggression on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria.

Raeisi made the statement in a televised interview broadcast live on the state-run television on Tuesday night while elaborating on the aspects of Operation True Promise, Iran's anti-Israel military operation which was carried out in the late hours of April 13.

Stressing that the large-scale operation should be discussed in various meetings and scientific, research, political and security circles, the Iranian president said, “Operation True Promise is a source of national pride and is considered a turning point in consensus-building measures across the country, and everyone praised this deed.”

Raeisi underlined that the Israeli regime’s aggression against the Iranian Embassy in Syria bespoke the occupying entity’s desperation, adding that the Islamic Republic’s reprisal was a punishment for the regime as promised by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“The Zionist regime is beset by desperation and defeat. One of the manifestations of this desperation is the attack on the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus; an act that contravened all international laws and regulations,” the chief executive said.

“Subsequently, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution asserted that the Zionist regime would be punished and this promise was fulfilled by our combatants.”

Raeisi also said the daring operation was a clear manifestation of the rationality of the Islamic Revolution and put on display the cooperation between the military sector, diplomacy and media. "All sectors cooperated in this operation and proved that a strong Iran can remove the shadow of war from the country and take the military option off the table."

Op. True Promise: IRGC general says Iran used only 20% of what it prepared that night to punish Israel

The IRGC’s Aerospace Division commander says Iran employed only 20% of its available military resources to punish Israel during its last month’s Operation True Promise.

In a multi-pronged attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, the Iranian armed forces launched dozens of drones and missiles at the occupied territories late on April 13 in response to the regime's aggression on the Iranian diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1.

The Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus had killed two generals of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five of their accompanying officers.

The Israeli regime's aggression on the Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria drew widespread condemnation from the international community, with Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations saying in a statement that Tehran’s response to Israeli aggression was a “legitimate defense” under the UN Charter.

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