TEHRAN, Iran – October 26: A view of the Iranian capital Tehran after the Israeli army announced an attack on Iranian “military targets” on October 26, 2024. Come, precision strikes are currently being carried out against Iranian military targets. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Israel attacked Iranian military installations earlier on Saturday, but its retaliation this month for Iranian attacks did not appear to target the country’s most sensitive oil and nuclear targets after urgent calls for restraint from allies and neighbors.
The risk of a wider conflict between heavily armed Israel and Iran has rocked a region already in flames with fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, but it was unclear whether the overnight attack would trigger further escalation.
The Israeli military said dozens of warplanes completed three waves of attacks on missile factories and other sites before dawn and warned the heavily armed enemies not to fight back.
Iran said its air defenses successfully countered the attack, but that two soldiers were killed and some locations suffered “limited damage”. A semi-official Iranian news agency vowed to respond “accordingly” to the Israeli attack.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have rapidly increased since the Iranian-backed Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Iran fired some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, killing one person in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in response to previous Israeli moves and triggering new vows of retaliation over the situation since October 1 Concerns of escalation have intensified.
As the conflict in Lebanon escalates, Israel is launching a fierce attack on Iran’s main regional ally Hezbollah to prevent it from firing rockets into northern Israel, further exacerbating the situation.
With the United States and many Middle Eastern countries urging restraint, all eyes are on how Iran will respond to Saturday’s attack.
Iranian news websites showed footage of passengers at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, seemingly to show there was little impact. Local media reported explosions in the capital and a nearby military base within hours.
The Israeli military said it did not expect an immediate response from Iran and said public safety restrictions across the country had not changed.
‘Obligated to respond’
The Israeli military said it had completed “targeted” strikes against Iran, hitting a truck missile manufacturing facility and a surface-to-air missile array, adding that its aircraft had returned home safely.
“If the Iranian regime makes a mistake and starts a new round of escalation, we will be obligated to respond,” the military said.
A U.S. official said the targets did not include energy infrastructure or Iran’s nuclear facilities.
US President Joe Biden warned that Washington, Israel’s main backer and arms supplier, would not support an attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities and said Israel should consider alternatives to attacking Iranian oil fields.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) holds a meeting with the security cabinet after Iran launched a missile attack on Israel in West Jerusalem on October 1, 2024. Attended the meeting.
Avi Ohayon | General Administration | Anadolu | Getty Images
Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned Israel not to launch any attacks. “Iran reserves the right to respond to any aggression and there is no doubt that Israel will react accordingly to any action it takes,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted a source as saying on Saturday.
A senior Biden official said that Israel’s “targeted and proportional strikes” should end direct fighting between the two countries, but that the United States is fully prepared to defend Israel again if Iran chooses to respond.
U.S. notices before strike
Footage played by Iranian media showed air defense systems in central Tehran repeatedly firing at apparent incoming shells, but did not reveal which locations were hit.
Tasnim reported that the IRGC base that came under attack was not damaged and said Iran would resume flights from 9 a.m. (0530 GMT), which had been suspended during the Israeli attack. Neighboring Iraq is also resuming flights, its state news agency said.
According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, Israel launched air strikes on a number of military locations in central and southern Syria early on Saturday.
Israel has not confirmed an attack on Syria. Israel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galante and other security officials were closely monitoring operations at the military command and control center in Tel Aviv.
Shortly after the Israeli attack began, Galante spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Pentagon said Austin emphasized that the United States will strengthen its force posture to protect American personnel, Israel and its partners in the region.
A U.S. official told Reuters that Israel notified the United States before launching the attack but that Washington was not involved in the operation.
Saudi Arabia, which has repaired ties with Iran after years of regional rivalry and had been trying to improve relations with Israel before the Gaza war, condemned the attack as a violation of Iranian sovereignty and international law.
When negotiators fly to Doha on Sunday, a ceasefire and hostage release deal are expected to be restored in Gaza, which could help cool the broader conflict. Months of negotiations have produced little progress.
About The Author
