Iran threatens to target US-Israeli economic interests as war escalates in Middle East
World
Earlier, Iran has dismissed reports claiming that its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured during the ongoing conflict
TEHRAN (Web Desk) - Iran will target economic and banking interests linked to the US and Israel in the region, after an attack on an Iranian bank, a spokesperson for Tehran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said on Wednesday.
An administrative building linked to Bank Sepah, one of the country's largest public banks and with historical links to the military, was hit overnight in Tehran, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
"Following their failed campaign, the terrorist US army and cruel Zionist regime (Israel) have targeted one of the country's banks," state media quoted Ebrahim Zolfaqari as saying.
"With this illegitimate and uncommon action, the enemy is forcing our hand to target economic centres and banks linked to the US and Zionist regime in the region," he added.
The spokesperson warned people of the region to stay 1,000 metres away from banks.
Earlier, Iran has dismissed reports claiming that its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured during the ongoing conflict.
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According to Al Jazeera, Yousef Pezeshkian — a government adviser and the son of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — said Khamenei is “safe and sound.”
In a message shared on his Instagram Story, Pezeshkian said he had heard rumours that Khamenei had been wounded. After contacting people with relevant connections, he said he was told that Khamenei had not been harmed.
“Thank God, he is safe and sound,” he said.
Earlier, Iran’s state television had referred to Khamenei as a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war,” but it did not provide any details about the nature of the alleged injury.
ISARAEL BELIEVES HE'S INJURED
Accoring to Reuters, Israel's intelligence assessment is that Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was lightly wounded in the Israeli-US joint air war against Iran and that is why he has not been seen in public, a senior Israeli official told the news agency.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards forced through the choice of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader, seeing him as a more pliant version of his father who would back their hardline policies.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that any leader appointed by the current Iranian leadership would "be an unequivocal target for elimination."