Tehran, Mar 13: Iranās newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released his first statement since succeeding his late father, pledging to continue attacks on Gulf Arab countries.
His remarks, read by a state TV anchor, emphasized using the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the US and Israel.
He vowed to avenge casualties, including the school strike that killed over 165 people, signaling that Iran intends to prolong the conflict disrupting global energy supplies and Gulf security.
Hezbollah launched roughly 200 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel, prompting warnings for civilians to evacuate south of the Zahrani River. Israel retaliated with airstrikes on Iran and Lebanon, killing at least 11 people in Lebanon.
In Iran, attacks on Tehran checkpoints killed 10 people in suspected drone assaults.
Iranian assaults on Gulf states included hitting a container ship off Dubai, damaging Muharraq Island in Bahrain, drones striking residential buildings in Kuwait and Dubai, and Saudi Arabia shooting down drones targeting Riyadh and its oil fields. These attacks flouted a recent UN Security Council resolution.