Iran accuses US of involvement in Israeli strike on its territory

TEHRAN, Iran

The United States played a role in Saturday’s Israeli strikes on Iran, a top official in Tehran said.

“The Americans clearly participated in the attack,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a televised interview on Sunday.

“The Americans provided an air corridor for the Zionist air force, and the defensive equipment they sent to them is considered a form of involvement in the recent operations,” he added, saying that US participation is “completely clear.”

On the international backlash to Israel’s attack, he said: “The level of global condemnation for this aggressive act by the Zionist entity was very high.”

Israeli on Saturday said it had carried out a four-hour assault on Iran, with Tehran stating that it successfully repelled “attempts by the Zionist entity to attack some points in Tehran and across the country.”

According to the Iranian military, the Israeli strikes killed four soldiers.

This attack followed Iran's launch of over 180 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1, which Tehran described as “retaliation” for the assassinations of top leaders of Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.

Iran had previously warned that any Israeli attack would be met with a "harsher response."

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi