Tehran is planning to retaliate for last week’s Israeli bombing of Iran before the US presidential election on November 5, media outlets reported on Wednesday and Thursday, citing anonymous sources.
In the latest escalation in the Middle East, Israel conducted a series of strikes against targets in Iran last Saturday. The attack was in response to a massive barrage of missiles fired by Iran at the Jewish state in early October – which was in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah and Iranian commanders. In an escalating spiral of violence, the two states have exchanged direct attacks several times this year.
A number of US news outlets have hinted that Iran’s response could come within days.
“The response of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the aggression of the Zionist regime will be definitive and painful,” CNN wrote on Wednesday, citing a senior source familiar with Iran’s deliberations. The news network did not say which country the source is from.
CNN’s source did not provide an exact time for the attack, but said it “will likely take place before the day of the US presidential election” scheduled for November 5. At least three senior Iranian figures also vowed retaliation for the latest Israeli strike in statements on Thursday, although none mentioned a time frame.
The commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, promised an “unimaginable answer” to the attack in a speech cited by Tasnim news agency.
