Khamenei Says Iran Demonstrated its Power Against Israel

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with the commanders of the Iranian armed forces in Tehran, Iran April 21, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with the commanders of the Iranian armed forces in Tehran, Iran April 21, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
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Khamenei Says Iran Demonstrated its Power Against Israel

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with the commanders of the Iranian armed forces in Tehran, Iran April 21, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with the commanders of the Iranian armed forces in Tehran, Iran April 21, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday thanked the country's armed forces for their attack this month on Israel, saying the country had demonstrated its power regardless of how many targets were hit, a tacit acknowledgment that despite launching a massive assault, few projectiles actually made through to their targets.

In its first ever direct attack on Israel, Iran sent a barrage of more than 300 missiles and drones on April 13 in what it said was retaliation for Israel's suspected deadly strike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.

Most of the missiles and drones were shot down by Israel and its allies and the attack caused modest damage in Israel.

"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 power during that operation," Khamenei said on Sunday.

Early on Friday, explosions echoed over the Iranian city of Isfahan in what sources said was an Israeli attack. Tehran played down the incident and said it had no plans for retaliation - a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.

"In the recent operation, the armed forces managed to minimize costs and maximize gains," Khamenei added, urging military officials to "ceaselessly pursue military innovation and learn the enemy's tactics.”

Khamenei, 85, made the comments in a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran's regular military, police and the Revolutionary Guard.

Satellite images analyzed Saturday by The Associated Press showed the Iranian attack caused only minor damage at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, including taking a chunk out of a taxiway that Israel quickly repaired.



Earthquake of 7.4 Magnitude Strikes off Russia's Kamchatka Region, Tsunami Warning Lifted

A handout shakemap made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hitting off Kamchatka, Russia, 20 July 2025. EPA/USGS HANDOUT
A handout shakemap made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hitting off Kamchatka, Russia, 20 July 2025. EPA/USGS HANDOUT
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Earthquake of 7.4 Magnitude Strikes off Russia's Kamchatka Region, Tsunami Warning Lifted

A handout shakemap made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hitting off Kamchatka, Russia, 20 July 2025. EPA/USGS HANDOUT
A handout shakemap made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hitting off Kamchatka, Russia, 20 July 2025. EPA/USGS HANDOUT

 A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near the coast of the Kamchatka region in the far east of Russia on Sunday, earthquake monitoring agencies said. 

The earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka at a depth of 10 km, shortly after a previous quake, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) data. 

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) showed the earthquake to be of 7.4 magnitude. GFZ also updated the quake to a 7.4 magnitude after first reporting it at 6.7 magnitude. 

The US National Tsunami Warning Center had initially issued a tsunami watch for the state of Hawaii, which was cancelled shortly afterwards. 

Russia's state-run TASS news agency later reported that a tsunami warning for Kamchatka was also lifted, citing local emergency services. 

Earlier, waves of up to 60 cm had been expected to reach several parts of the region, including the capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.