Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested on Sunday that a potential ceasefire between Iran’s allies and Israel might reduce Tehran’s response to recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military sites. Pezeshkian emphasized that if Israel agreed to a ceasefire and halted its offensive against “oppressed and innocent people” in the region, it “could affect the intensity and type of our response,” according to a statement by Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.
The October 26 airstrikes by Israeli forces reportedly targeted Iran’s military infrastructure as a response to Iran’s missile barrage on October 1, which Tehran described as retaliation for the deaths of Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander. The exchange has escalated tensions between the two nations, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that the strikes hit critical defense and missile capabilities within Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday reiterated Iran’s commitment to retaliate against attacks by both Israel and the United States, warning of a “tooth-breaking response” to aggressions. His remarks addressed the “resistance front” that includes Iran-backed groups such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Israeli authorities have since cautioned Iran against escalating hostilities, while Iran maintains that it will respond to any aggression against its sovereignty. The recent Israeli strikes reportedly resulted in the deaths of four Iranian military personnel, along with damage to radar systems and the death of one civilian.
