Iran’s chief of staff vows US strikes on nuclear sites ‘will not go unanswered’

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces vowed Monday that US strikes on nuclear facilities “will not go unanswered.”

“Regardless of the extent of the damage incurred, the very nature of this crime (US attack on nuclear sites) will not go unanswered,” Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said in a recorded speech.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that his forces bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

“This action by Trump is born out of desperation and aims to save his proxy force, namely the Zionist regime, and especially (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu himself,” Mousavi said.

“When Trump saw the signs of defeat in Netanyahu, he decided to give him artificial respiration with this action.”

The Iranian chief of staff said that Tehran will respond to Israeli attacks in a manner proportional to recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“The punishment of Netanyahu will continue with full force until he is brought to destitution,” Mousavi said.

He threatened that Iran “will take action against them (Israel) proportional to the US strikes.”

The US attacks were the latest escalation in a US-backed Israeli military assault on Iran since June 13, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks on Israel.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.