Israeli strikes on Iran, in retaliation for Iran’s missile attacks earlier this month, have resulted in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers, according to Iran’s army.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they targeted missile factories and other sites near Tehran and western Iran early on Saturday.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that while it has a responsibility to defend itself, it also recognizes its responsibilities towards regional peace and security, a statement that was seen as relatively conciliatory.
The Israeli retaliation for an Iranian barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles fired towards Israel on October 1 had been widely anticipated for weeks.
Tehran had claimed that the attack was in response to the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July. Many missiles were intercepted by Israel and its allies, but a few managed to hit central and southern Israel.
Iranian authorities reported that sites in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces were targeted. The military asserted that the attacks had been successfully thwarted, although there was “limited damage” in some areas.
Following the Israeli strikes, Iranian state media broadcasted footage showing normal traffic flow in several cities, with schools and sports activities reportedly proceeding as scheduled.
The Israeli military announced Saturday’s operation shortly after explosions were reported in Iran. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari stated that the military had demonstrated its readiness “to defend the state of Israel.”
He also cautioned that if Iran initiated a new round of escalation, Israel would be “obliged to respond.”
The US and Britain both urged Iran not to retaliate following the recent strikes, with President Joe Biden’s administration calling for an end to the cycle of violence.
Senior US administration officials mentioned that the US was informed of Israel’s strikes in advance and that Washington was not involved in them.
The attacks did not target Iranian oil infrastructure or nuclear facilities, which the Biden administration had advised Israel against hitting, according to an official.
The official stated that the US had encouraged Israel for weeks to carry out a response that was “targeted and proportional with low risk of civilian harm,” and indicated that this was “precisely what transpired” on Saturday evening.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against “Iranian aggression” and echoed calls for Iran to refrain from retaliation, stating that the UK would work to “de-escalate the situation across the region.”
However, Russia and other countries in the region, including US allies Jordan and Saudi Arabia, accused Israel of escalating the conflict.
Qatar expressed “deep concern about the serious repercussions that may result from this escalation,” while Jordan described the attack as a “dangerous escalation.”
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized the need to stop provoking Iran to retaliate and to break out of the cycle of uncontrollable escalation.
The extent of the Israeli strikes and their specific targets were still unclear on Saturday morning.
Iran’s aviation authority briefly halted flights but announced that they would resume at 09:00 local time (06:30 BST).
Hooman, a 42-year-old factory worker, was at work in Tehran when he heard the explosions, he told news agency AFP.
“It was a booming sound… terrible and terrifying,” he was quoted as saying. “Now that there is war in the Middle East, we are afraid that we will be dragged into it.”
Israeli airstrikes also targeted locations in central and southern Syria, as reported by Syrian state media.
Following the Israeli strikes, Hezbollah launched 80 projectiles across the border into Israel on Saturday afternoon, according to the IDF.
Later, AFP news agency reported that the Iran-backed group fired a series of rockets at five residential areas in northern Israel, including the outskirts of Krayot near Haifa.