Iran threatens "deadly" retaliatory strike against Israel Leveraging hidden capabilities

Iran is poised to carry out a “deadly” retaliatory strike against Israel, utilizing its “hidden capabilities,” according to Major General Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary militia, part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

He claimed that the "great Iranian nation has yet to reveal its strength to the Zionist enemy", Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media sources.

"The people of Iran possess a significant potential to confront their adversaries. As our supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated, the Zionist group has miscalculated. We will rectify this error of the enemy. Their mistake will enable us to deliver a decisive blow to [Israel],” Soleimani stressed during his speech broadcast by state-run TV.

Earlier, Deputy Commander of the IRGC, Mohammad Reza Naghdi, indicated that Iran would soon respond to an Israeli strike on its territory, promising “even more crushing strikes” against Israel in the near future. He emphasized that Tehran aims to “surprise the Jewish state” with its strategy and innovation.

Israeli intelligence reports that Iran is preparing for a large-scale attack on Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days. Sources told US media indicating that this potential strike may occur before the US presidential election. The intelligence suggests that Iran may deploy a significant number of UAVs and ballistic missiles in the planned assault.

The report did not clarify which forces would execute these strikes from Iraq, where pro-Iranian Shiite militias are active.

On October 1, Iran had already executed a massive missile attack on Israel following the assassinations of key figures within Hamas, Hezbollah, and the IRGC leadership. Israel vowed to retaliate for that assault.

On October 26, the Israel Defence Forces reported targeting military installations in Iran in response to “numerous continuous attacks.” The air defence forces of Iran acknowledged that military sites in Ilam, Tehran, and Khuzestan provinces were struck, though they claimed damage was minimal and that air defence systems successfully thwarted the main assault, resulting in the deaths of at least four Iranian soldiers and one civilian.

By Tamilla Hasanova