Ali Khamenei thanks Iranian forces for attacking Israel, urges them to learn ‘enemy tactics’

Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday (Apr 21) expressed gratitude towards the country’s armed forces for attacking Israel. He also urged the Iranian forces to "ceaselessly pursue military innovation and learn the enemy's tactics," reported Iran’s official news agency.

Tehran waged an attack on Israel on April 13, firing more than 300 missiles and drones. It said the attack came in response to Israel’s suspected deadly bombing of its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.

"How many missiles were launched and how many of them hit their target is not the primary question, what really matters is that Iran demonstrated its will-power during that operation," Khamenei said.

Israel's Friday strikes on Iran

Israel on Friday (Apr 19) is believed to have staged retaliatory strikes in the Iranian city of Isfahan. However, Tehran played down the attacks, with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian saying Saturday it was not a strike but resembled "toys our children play with, not drones."

Watch: Iran-Israel Tensions: Israel's costly defence vs Iran's cheap attack | Sizing up the costs of war × As per media reports, the muted response from the Iranian authorities indicates that both parties are trying to de-escalate the tensions.

Satellite imagery shows impact on Iranian base

Meanwhile, satellite imagery released over the last 24 hours has confirmed the impact of attacks on an Iranian air base. BBC reported that a part of an air defence system at an airfield in Isfahan was damaged in Israeli strikes on Friday.

However, it remains unclear what type of weapons were used in the attack, over which Israel has maintained silence.

(With inputs from agencies)