In a meeting attended by senior military leaders, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed discussions regarding the effectiveness of Iran's recent drone-and-missile attack on Israel. This tacit acknowledgment suggests that despite launching a significant assault, only a few projectiles managed to reach their intended targets.

Khamenei's comments did not address the apparent Israeli retaliatory strike on the central city of Isfahan, which occurred on Friday. Despite Iran's air defenses opening fire and commercial flights being grounded across much of the country, the supreme leader remained silent on the event.

Analysts believe that both Iran and Israel, long-standing regional rivals engaged in a shadow war, are attempting to deescalate tensions. This comes as the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza continues to inflame the wider region.

During the meeting, Khamenei, aged 85, made his remarks in the presence of Iran's regular military, police, and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard - a powerful force within the country's Shiite theocracy. He emphasized that debates about the number of missiles fired and their hit accuracy were of secondary importance. Instead, Khamenei focused on the emergence of Iran's military and its importance on the international stage.

On April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles in an attempt to overwhelm Israel's air defenses. However, Israeli defenses, with the support of the US, the UK, and neighboring Jordan, successfully intercepted the majority of the incoming projectiles.

Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press on Saturday revealed that the Iranian attack only caused minor damage at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel. Israel quickly repaired the damage, which included a section of the taxiway.

Iran's attack was in response to a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 that targeted a consular building near the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria. The strike resulted in the deaths of two Guard generals and several others.

Despite public anger over Iran's struggling economy and crackdowns on dissent, Khamenei expressed satisfaction with the country's armed forces and their strong reputation internationally.

In light of recent events, experts will closely monitor developments between Iran and Israel as they navigate a fragile ceasefire amid ongoing conflicts in the region.