By Parisa Hafezi and Emily Rose
In response to Tehran’s attacks on Israel earlier this month, Israel stated that it targeted military sites in Iran early on Saturday, marking the latest development in the escalating conflict between the two nations.
According to Iranian media reports, there were multiple explosions in the capital and at nearby military bases over a span of more than two hours. Initial reports downplayed the attacks and highlighted Iran’s air defenses.
Following a ballistic missile barrage by Iran on October 1, the Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel’s retaliation. This attack, which included around 200 missiles fired at Israel, marked Iran’s second direct assault on Israel in six months.
Iran’s strikes were in response to Israel’s killing of the top leadership of Hezbollah in Lebanon, an ally of Iran. Hezbollah militants, along with Hamas, the Palestinian group based in Gaza and aligned with Tehran, joined forces against Israel after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel’s military stated, “In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran.”
The U.S. official confirmed that the targets did not include energy infrastructure or nuclear facilities.
ABC reported that the attack was expected to be a one-night operation.
U.S. President Joe Biden had cautioned against a strike on Tehran’s nuclear sites and urged Israel to consider alternatives to attacking Iran’s oil fields.
Iranian state TV reported that the explosions heard in Tehran were related to air defense systems responding to Israel’s attempts to attack locations outside the city. Anti-aircraft fire was heard in central Tehran, according to IRNA.
Several military bases in the west and southwest of Tehran were reportedly targeted by Israel, as per the semi-official Iranian Fars news agency.
Iranian state media reported strong explosions beginning around 2 am local time but downplayed the impact, stating that life continued as normal.
Iranian authorities have warned Israel against launching an attack, stating that any strike on Iran would be met with a stronger response.
Israel also conducted airstrikes on military sites in Syria’s central and southern regions early on Saturday, as reported by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Syrian air defense forces intercepted missiles launched by Israel and shot down some of them.
Israel has not confirmed its involvement in strikes on Syria.
Iraq suspended flights in all its airports until further notice, as reported by its state news agency.
Israel informed the United States ahead of its strikes on targets in Iran but the U.S. was not directly involved in the operation.
The United States reassured Israel of its support in defense and moved the U.S. military’s THAAD anti-missile defenses to Israel along with about 100 U.S. soldiers to operate them.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Israel’s retaliation should not lead to further escalation.