The Iran warned Thursday that it would respond “violently” to Saturday’s Israeli attack on Iranian military facilities, saying the Israel will “regret it”, local media reported today.

“The recent action of the Zionist regime, which attacked areas of our country, was a desperate act and the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to it in a violent way that will make (Israel) regret it,” Mohammad Mohammadi said. Golpagegani, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Tasnim news agency.

Golpagegani praised the effectiveness of Iran’s air defenses that “prevented the entry of fighter jets of the Zionist regime into the territory” and said that the damage caused by the strikes was “minimal”.

Mohammad Mohammadi Golpagegani is a highly influential religious official as the chief of staff of the ayatollah’s office, who has the final say in all state affairs.

On October 26, the Israeli military admitted publicly for the first time that it attacked military targets on Iranian soil, during an operation it presented as retaliation for Iran’s missile launch against Israel on October 1.

Israel said its strikes mainly targeted missile manufacturing facilities, while Tehran downplayed their significance.

In Iran, the military announced the deaths of four soldiers and clarified that only “radar systems” had been destroyed in the attack, which the domestic press had described as “weak”. Local media also reported a dead civilian.

Also today, General Hossein Salami, the head of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Islamic Republic’s ideological army, warned that an “unthinkable” response was in store for Israel.

“Israel has reached the stage of collapse and is now acting blindly, not respecting any rules and committing all crimes,” he added, according to Tasnim.

After the Oct. 26 attacks, Israel warned Iran not to retaliate, while Tehran, saying it does not seek war, vowed to respond.