Iran vows to punish ‘evil Zionist regime’

Tehran has reiterated Ayatollah Khamenei’s pledge to avenge the strike on Iranian consulate in Damascus

Iranian authorities have reposted an address by the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in which he has vowed to punish Israel for the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, which occurred earlier this month.

A video of the April 10 speech was widely shared across the Iranian government accounts on X (formerly Twitter) early Sunday, following the launch of Iranian drones on Israeli territory. In the address, the supreme leader appealed to the nation condemning the Israeli airstrike on the compound that killed seven Iranian officers including two high-ranking generals, likening the attack on the Iranian consulate to “attacking our [Iranian] soil."

“The malicious regime itself, which is all malice, evil, and error, added another mistake to its own errors by launching an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria,” Khamenei said, noting that “the consulate and embassy offices in any country where they exist are regarded as the soil of the country to which the embassy belongs.”

He called the Israeli act “a wrong move” saying that “it should be punished and will be punished.”

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Tehran launched a barrage of drones towards Israel late on Saturday. According to media reports, US officials estimate that up to 500 drones and missiles launched from various locations including Syria, Southern Lebanon and Yemen, will rain on Israeli soil over the weekend.

The permanent mission of Iran to the UN issued a statement overnight saying that “Iran’s military action” constitutes “a legitimate defense” based on the UN charter. 

“The matter can be deemed concluded,” the mission added, warning of “considerably more severe” consequences if Israel continues the course. 

The agency emphasized that the conflict is exclusively between Tehran and West Jerusalem, stressing that “the US must stay away.”