TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused Israel of launching last month’s military strikes with the intention of weakening Iran’s political system and inciting unrest to overthrow it.
In a statement published on his official website, Khamenei claimed the attacks were designed to destabilise Iran by targeting key figures and critical infrastructure.
“The calculation and plan of the aggressors was to weaken the system by targeting certain figures and sensitive centres in Iran,“ Khamenei said.
He further alleged that the strategy aimed to provoke “unrest and bring people into the streets to overthrow the system”.
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel conducted an unprecedented bombing campaign, killing high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists.
Iranian authorities reported over 1,000 casualties, while Israel stated that retaliatory strikes from Iran resulted in 28 deaths.
On June 22, the United States, Israel’s ally, carried out its own strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz.
The attacks occurred just two days before scheduled nuclear talks between Iran and the US, which have since stalled.
Tehran has maintained its openness to diplomacy but insists on guarantees from Washington against further military action.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament has rejected negotiations without unspecified “preconditions”.
Khamenei urged caution, stating that both Iranian diplomacy and military forces must proceed with “care and precision” in the aftermath of the conflict. – AFP
