Is that what the Ayatollah told him, or was it Joe Biden?
Actually it seems likely to me it was planned war theater.
You had a statement that “Biden” (the committee of commie sabateur puppeteers running things in his name) greenlighted an Iranian response to the Israeli response to the Hamas outrage, but “within some bounds”.
You had the rather unrealistic 99% effective defense.
Precedent: During a rally I think in the ‘20 campaign Trump told a story that after the Sulemani(?) IRG Hellfire assassination Iran communicated to him that they were going to attack but confidentially nobody would be hurt, it was just for appearances, so don’t hit us back, OK? So Iran has run these theatrical events for the suckers back home before.
And finally, it expended hundreds of millions worth of American, NATO, and Israeli air defense and air-air missiles, like “Biden” has also arranged to do in Ukraine. Probably something he gets a bonus from China and contributions from the MIC for.
Oh and “Biden” and NATO now get to be the dynamic, effective military leaders and heroes of the MSM narrative in the leadup to the election.