Israeli strikes are far more serious than Iran cares to admit

LONDON – In his first public reaction to Israel’s Oct 26 air strikes, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged people in his country not to exaggerate but also not to minimise the significance of the Israeli attacks.

Speaking on Oct 27 to the families of Iranian soldiers killed in the air strikes, Ayatollah Khamenei claimed that Israel was “exaggerating” the damage it inflicted on Iran, but added that it was also a “mistake” for Iranians to conclude that the Israeli offensive “was nothing important”.