Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes first public appearance after attack on Israel in retaliation for Hezbollah leader’s killing

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Iran is bracing itself for likely Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites as the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged the west to leave the Middle East.

Khamenei met students and scientists on Wednesday in his first public appearance since ordering a high-risk missile attack on Israel in response to Israel’s attacks on the leadership of Hezbollah, the armed group Tehran has funded in Lebanon.