Tehran, 27 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) - A day after Israel launched airstrikes against key targets in Iran, the Iranian parliament on Sunday convened for a meeting behind closed doors to discuss a response.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, chaired the deliberations, according to Iranian media reports. 

Iran's parliament has limited influence, with real power being concentrated in the state leadership headed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Following this year's election, however, a majority of conservative hardliners dominate parliament, which is also likely to influence the mood among the radical wings of the military.

Israel launched a widely anticipated attack on Iran early on Saturday, saying later that it targeted facilities used to make missiles fired at Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile sites. 

Iranian state media reported that four soldiers were killed in the strikes.

According to the state news agency IRNA, Ghalibaf said that a military response from Iran to the Israeli attack was certain, although he described it as "passive" and thus relativized its scale.

Ghalibaf referred to the right of self-defence in accordance with the UN Charter. At the same time, he emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Photo: MIA archive