Iran’s supreme leader claims Tehran ‘showed its power’ during 300-missile attack on Israel in first comments since terrifying night-time blitz that sparked WW3 fears

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei today responded for the first time to his country’s attack on Israel earlier this month, claiming its military “displayed might” despite failing to hit key targets.

Khamenei sought to downplay the failure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to hit key targets with his 300-strong salvo of drones and missiles sent into Israel on April 13.

He said: “How many missiles were launched and how many of them reached their targets is not the main question. What really matters is that Iran demonstrated its willpower during that operation.”

The leader, who celebrated his 85th birthday on Friday, the same day Israel retaliated with an attack in the strategically important province of Isfahan, apparently called for an escalation of tensions between Tehran and Jerusalem.

He called on the IRCG to “relentlessly pursue military innovation and learn the enemy’s tactics.”

A view shows drones or missiles battling for targets in secret locations in northern Israel

He spoke today with “a number of commanders of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to his official report on X.

In a later message, he added: “I sincerely appreciate the efforts and achievements of the armed forces in Operation ‘True Promise’ which was carried out against the Zionist regime.

“In Operation True Promise, the armed forces showed a good picture of their capabilities and power and an admirable image of the Iranian nation. They also proved the rise of the Iranian nation’s resolve at the international level.

“The recent achievements of the armed forces have created a sense of splendor about Islamic Iran in the eyes of the world and among international observers.”

Iran fired a salvo of drones and missiles into Israel early this month in response to an Israeli missile attack on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing seven people, including two top IRGC generals.

It took several hours for the salvo to reach Israel, but only one person was injured: a seven-year-old girl who was seriously injured by falling shrapnel.

In response, Israel launched a missile that hit Isfahan province, home to many Iranian military and nuclear sites.

Khamenei (pictured) tried to downplay the failure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to hit key targets with his 300-strong salvo of drones and missiles

He spoke today with ‘a number of commanders of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran’

Iran has officially said it has no plans to retaliate and has downplayed the damage suffered by the attack.

But Iran appears to be trying to mend ties with its neighbors, with President Ebrahim Raisi revealing he will travel to Pakistan on Monday to meet with his counterpart, President Asif Ali Zardari.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said today that Raisi will be accompanied by “a high-level delegation comprising the Foreign Minister… and a large business delegation.”

It comes just three months after Iran and Pakistan were involved in a series of missile attacks that fueled regional tensions.

Tehran carried out the attacks against an anti-Iranian group in Pakistan the same week it attacked Iraq and Syria.

Pakistan responded with an attack on “militant targets” in Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan province, one of the few mainly Sunni Muslim regions in Shiite-dominated Iran.

Both countries have accused each other in the past of harboring militants.

A visit to Islamabad by Tehran’s foreign minister led to the two sides pledging to improve dialogue and install liaison officers in both countries.

Sistan-Balochistan province has faced years of unrest involving cross-border drug smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baloch ethnic minority and Muslim extremists.

Raisi will also visit Lahore and Karachi to meet provincial leaders, according to the statement.

The countries will further strengthen ties and enhance cooperation in “trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture and people-to-people contacts,” it added.

Pakistan is banking on a joint gas project with Iran to resolve a long-standing energy crisis that has undermined economic growth.

In March 2013, a US$7.5 billion Iranian-Pakistani gas pipeline was opened to much fanfare, intended to feed Pakistani power plants.

But the project immediately stalled after international sanctions against Iran.

Tehran has built its own part of the 1,800-kilometer pipeline, which will eventually connect the South Pars gas fields to the Pakistani city of Nawabshah, near Karachi.

In February, Pakistan’s outgoing government approved the construction of an 80-kilometer section of the pipeline, mainly to avoid paying billions of dollars in fines to Iran due to years of delays.

Washington has warned that Pakistan could face US sanctions and says it will not support the pipeline in the future.