Photo: AFP file

Iranian officials should decide how best to showcase Iran's strength to Israel following the Israeli attack on Saturday, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency, which cited the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "The evil committed by (Israel) two nights ago should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated," he added. Iran on Saturday minimized the impact of Israel's overnight air attack on Iranian military targets, stating that it caused only limited damage. Scores of Israeli jets executed three waves of strikes before dawn against missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran, according to Israel's military.

Khamenei emphasized that Iran's power should be demonstrated to Israel, noting that the method to do so should be "determined by the officials and that which is in the best interest of the people and the country should take place." The attack, which Israel claims was in response to Iran's missile attack earlier this month, has prompted calls for de-escalation from many world leaders. US President Joe Biden called for a halt to escalation, which has heightened fears of a full-scale conflict in the Middle East. The UAE has strongly condemned the military targeting of Iran, expressing "deep concern" over the continuation of escalation and its consequences on regional security and stability. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed "the importance of exercising utmost self-restraint" to mitigate risks and prevent the expansion of the scale of conflict.

Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar have also condemned the attack. Riyadh has reaffirmed its stance against the ongoing escalation in the region. Oman stated that the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of Iran's sovereignty and "a clear breach of the rules of international law," according to a post by Oman's foreign ministry on X. Qatar expressed "its strong condemnation and denunciation of Israel's targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran, considering this act a blatant violation of Iran's sovereignty and a clear breach of the principles of international law." Egypt expressed grave concern over the escalation in the Middle East and condemned all measures that threaten regional security and stability, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

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