TEHRAN – A high-ranking Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) commander said Iran will certainly retaliate against Israel for an October attack on Iranian soil which, though failing to achieve its objectives, took the lives of five Iranians.

Speaking at a Wednesday ceremony in Tehran, The IRGC’s Deputy Commander Brigadier General Ali Fadavi said people have been questioning military officials about whether Operation True Promise III will be carried out. “People must take into account that since its establishment, the IRGC has fulfilled all its promises. Operation True Promise III will be carried out at the right time,” he declared. 

Israeli warplanes fired ballistic missiles at Iran’s military installations from Iraqi airspace on October 26. While the regime itself has not said much about the attack, analysts suggest the assault was a multi-phased operation, significantly hampered by Iran's effective air defenses which prevented Israeli jets from penetrating Iranian airspace.

4 Iranian soldiers operating the country's defense systems were martyred during the attack. Iran managed to repair material damage caused by the Israeli strikes shortly after the attack, according to Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh. 

The timing or nature of Tehran’s upcoming retaliation against Israel is not yet clear. The country has directly attacked Israeli positions in the occupied territories twice this year, once in April in response to an airstrike on its embassy in Damascus, and once in the beginning of October following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. 

During both Operation True Promise I and II, the IRGC targeted military bases throughout the occupied territories. While Israeli authorities claim, with the assistance of American and regional forces, to have completely repelled both attacks, evidence in the form of footage from the attacks and statements from the IRGC suggest otherwise. 

Furthermore, following Operation True Promise II, Israel arrested several journalists who had reported on Israeli censorship regarding the true extent of the damage caused by the Iranian offensive.