TEHRAN – With Israeli officials howling for revenge after Iran's October 1 missile strike on occupied territories, Iranian officials are contemplating a change in their nuclear policy should Israel dare to target the West Asian country’s nuclear facilities, a source revealed to the Tasnim News Agency.

The source said any aggression against Iran would follow a crushing response. "Iran's finger is on the trigger, and a greater surprise awaits the Zionists," the source told Tasnim, emphasizing that even strikes on Iranian military sites will be met with a "decisive" response that will "exceed the expectations of the Zionists."

The source made it clear that Iran will not be bound by past responses, and will not hesitate to escalate if Israeli attacks target Iranian facilities or infrastructure. "This is a clear message for the Zionists," the source added, "and they will definitely understand its meaning."

If the Zionist regime’s possible action targets Iran’s nuclear sites, Iran will react and also reconsider its nuclear policies, the source added.

It is currently not possible to develop nuclear weapons in Iran, based on a religious decree by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei who has banned the manufacturing of any weapons of mass destruction. 

The source concluded by emphasizing that Iran will act decisively, neither delaying nor rushing its response. "We will not merely punish the foolish," the source warned, "but ensure that they experience a greater surprise each time."

In October, Iran launched a barrage of approximately 200 ballistic missiles at Israeli military and intelligence bases in the occupied territories. Iranian officials confirmed that at least 90% of the projectiles struck their targets. The extent of the attack has been met with censorship and suppression, with some journalists who reported on the event detained by Israeli forces. One Jewish-American reporter based in New York, who was also detained, reported that Tel Aviv is obscuring the true consequences of Tehran's operation, which are far greater than what’s being shared by Hebrew media. 

The October attack dubbed Operation True Promise II marked the second direct Iranian attack against Israeli positions in the occupied territories. In April, Iran carried out a similar operation but on a less powerful scale, as it mainly used its older-technology drones to strike, as well as a handful of missiles. 

Many Iranian officials have warned in recent weeks that the next potential Iranian attack against Israel will be far more powerful than the first two. 

Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi, the deputy coordinator of the IRGC Qods Force, said on Monday that Iran’s armed forces are in full readiness to fend off any Israeli attacks. The commander of the Iranian Army made similar remarks during a high-ranking meeting a day earlier, adding that the pursuing response from Tehran would be “devastating” and “shattering”. 

While the world has been warned of the potential for conflict, it seems that Israel has been steadily gearing up for a strike against Iran. A Telegram channel leaked classified intelligence documents last week revealing a significant build-up of Israeli military forces, including the deployment of a large number of air-to-surface missiles to airbases. The documents also revealed a mid-October rehearsal simulating the planned attack on Iran. These documents, prepared by the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Agency, raise serious questions about Washington's level of knowledge and potential involvement in Israel's anti-Iran plans.

Tehran has already issued a public warning to Washington, cautioning it against involvement in any potential Israeli aggression against Iran. Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made it clear that if Israel attacks Iran with U.S. support, Tehran will hold both militaries accountable. Araqchi’s warning came after U.S. President Joe Biden, during a visit to Germany, revealed that he had been informed about the details of Israel’s plans to attack Iran.

“Anybody with knowledge or understanding of ‘how and when Israel was going to attack Iran’, and/or providing the means and backing for such folly, should logically be held accountable for any possible causality,” Araqchi wrote on his X account.

While it’s not clear whether the U.S. will directly aid Israel in attacking Iran, it seems that American politicians have already thought of ways to help the regime fend off airstrikes by Iran and the rest of the Axis of Resistance. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday that Washington has rushed its most advanced anti-missile system to the occupied territories and that the system is now “in place”.  About 100 American soldiers have also been deployed to Israeli bases to operate the systems, Biden previously declared.

In the region, Araqchi has said all countries situated between Iran and the occupied territories have reassured him that they would not allow their soil to be used by Israel to harm Iran.