TEHRAN — In his first reaction following an Israeli airstrike on Iranian military sites, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated Sunday that the attack must “neither be exaggerated nor underestimated.”

Speaking at an event in Tehran, Khamenei emphasized the necessity to “thwart” Israel’s “miscalculations.”

The attack commenced around 2:30 a.m. local time (23:00 GMT) on Saturday, targeting military facilities in the border provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan, as well as areas surrounding the capital Tehran.

Iran’s armed forces reported that while most missiles were intercepted by air defense systems, some caused "limited damage," resulting in the deaths of four soldiers. They claimed that Israeli fighter jets used airspace controlled by the US in Iraq to launch long-range missiles with “light warheads” at Iranian military sites from approximately 100 kilometers outside Iran's borders.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed that the airstrike targeted Iran’s missile production facilities, surface-to-air missile systems, and air defense infrastructure.

Khamenei asserted that Israel made a “mistake” by attacking Iran, stating they “exaggerated” the impact of the strike while cautioning against underestimating Iran's response.

Khamenei delegated military officials to decide on an appropriate response to this latest attack, which is the first direct assault by Israel on Iranian soil that has been publicly acknowledged.

Saturday's attack occurred weeks after Iran launched missile strikes on targets in Tel Aviv, claiming it was retaliation for the killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Abbas Nilforoushan. Iran had previously warned that any further Israeli attacks would be met with a "harsher response."

On Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that Iran feels “obligated” to defend against “foreign aggressive actions” based on the right of legitimate defense enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The General Staff of the Armed Forces reaffirmed the country's "right to take lawful and legitimate action at an appropriate time," while emphasizing the necessity of a "lasting cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon." — Agencies