'Operation True Promise' exhibits new power balance in region

Amir-Abdollahian made the statement in a message to Army Chief Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi on the occasion of National Army Day on April 17 as he praised Iran’s defense capabilities and deterrence power in its recent retaliatory operation against the illegal entity.

In a multi-pronged attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, Iran launched late on Saturday hundreds of drones and missiles at the occupied territories in response to the regime's aggression on the Iranian diplomatic facilities in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1.

The Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus had killed two generals of the Quds Force of IRGC, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five of their accompanying officers.

Amir-Abdollahian expressed the Foreign Ministry’s gratitude for the “precise and effective planning, designing and implementing” of the victorious Operation True Promise, which came in response to the “evil actions of the Zionist regime in the region,” and the martyrdom of a group of IRGC commanders in the consulate building of the country's embassy in Damascus.

“Undoubtedly, this valuable and complex military action, which was carried out based on the [universally] acknowledged principle of legitimate defense and in accordance with generally recognized international laws and regulations, redefined the balance of power in the West Asian region and once again demonstrated the deterrence power of the country’s Armed Forces to the sworn enemies of Islam and Iran,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

Stressing that the retaliatory operation created more capacities for the Iranian diplomatic apparatus in the field of international and regional relations, Amir-Abdollahian said the reprisal led to an increase in the sense of patriotism among Iranians and expedited the Zionist regime’s collapse.

On April 13, the IRGC targeted the Israeli-occupied territories with a barrage of drones and missiles. The extent of the damage on Israeli military bases across the occupied territories is yet to be specified.

Following the operation, Iran warned Israel against taking any retaliatory actions and urged the United States to try not to involve itself in the conflict, signaling that it viewed the matter as “concluded.”

President Ebrahim Raeisi said in a statement on Sunday, “If the Zionist regime or its supporters show reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response.”

Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations also said in a statement that Tehran’s response to Israeli aggression was a “legitimate defense” in accordance with the UN Charter, warning Washington to “stay away” from the matter.