Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a new speech that Israel"made a big mistake and will be punished for it." Khamenei also warned the United States on Wednesday over threatening statements from President Donald Trump. Khamenei said that"anyone who knows anything about Iran knows that Iranians do not respond well to threatening language. Iran will not surrender and any US attack will cause serious irreparable damage."

Khamenei also addressed the population last Friday after the start of the Israeli airstrikes on Iran. He called for"a hard fight against the terrorist Zionist regime". The 86-year-old ayatollah has been the spiritual leader of predominantly Shiite Iran since 1989. He is therefore the most powerful man in the country.

The Israeli attacks are still ongoing. Israel reported bombardments with fifty fighter jets on Wednesday morning. Israel also acknowledged on Wednesday that the Iranians shot down a drone. Israel states that the attacks are intended to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies that it wants a nuclear weapon and states that it is researching nuclear energy.