Iran's supreme leader praises armed forces after attacks on Israel

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with with politicians, the Iranian government, and military officials in Tehran. -/Iranian Supreme leader's Office/dpa

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has praised the Iranian armed forces in the highest terms following their attacks on Israel.

"The armed forces have not only demonstrated their power, but also safeguarded the international reputation and national pride of the country and its people," he said on Sunday.

It was of secondary importance how many missiles had been fired or whether they had reached their targets, he added: The important thing is that the armed forces remain ready to stand up to the country's enemies.

Iran attacked Israel with more than 300 missiles and drones on April 13. Israel and its allies intercepted 99% of the missiles, which according to Israeli military figures carried 60 tons of explosives.

The major Iranian attack was preceded by a missile attack on an Iranian embassy building in the Syrian capital Damascus. Two Iranian generals and other military personnel were killed in the attack. The attack was attributed to Israel.

It is Israel's long-standing practice not to comment publicly on reports of operations abroad.

Khamenei did not comment on the limited military strike on Iran that Israel carried out on Friday, according to media reports.

In the Iranian constitution, the 85-year-old cleric is the country's head of state. He has the final say in all strategic matters.

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH