Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Israel’s attacks during last month’s 12-day war were intended to weaken the Islamic republic’s system and spark unrest to topple it.
“The calculation and plan of the aggressors was to weaken the system by targeting certain figures and sensitive centres in Iran,” said Khamenei in a statement published on his website.
He said the move was meant to stir “unrest and bring people into the streets to overthrow the system”.
Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran on June 13, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Iranian authorities said more than 1,000 people were killed in Iran.
The attacks set off a 12-day war in Iran responded with drone and missile fire, killing 28 people in Israel, according to Israeli authorities.
On June 22, Israel’s ally the United States launched unprecedented strikes of its own on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.
Israel’s attacks took place two days before Iran and the United States were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of nuclear talks which had begun on April 12.
The talks have not since resumed.
Tehran has reiterated that it remains open to diplomacy provided that Washington offers guarantees it will not resort to military action against the Islamic republic.
On Wednesday, Iran’s parliament ruled out negotiations without meeting certain “preconditions”, without specifying any of them.
In his statement, Khamenei said Iranian diplomacy and the military should excercise “care and precision” in the way ahead, without elaborating.
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