Retaliation: Israel attacks targets in Iran

Iranian state television reported that air defenses had been activated. The Iranian Air Defense Command said that the attacks targeted military bases in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces. The air defense succeeded in repelling the attacks, and the damage was “limited.” There was initially no more detailed information.

Israel later announced the end of its attacks. The Israeli army announced early Saturday morning that the mission had been accomplished. Our planes returned home safely.” The retaliatory strike targeted missile production facilities and missile launch facilities in Iran. “We carried out targeted and precise attacks on military targets in Iran, avoiding immediate threats to the State of Israel,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a video. He added: “If the Iranian regime makes a mistake by starting a new round of escalation, we will be forced to respond.”

Israel: the “right and duty” to defend it

The Israeli army said during the attacks that Israel had the right and duty to respond “like any other sovereign country in the world.” The Iranian regime and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7 of last year – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian territory, and defensive and offensive capabilities have been fully mobilized. The IDF said: “We will do everything necessary to defend the State of Israel and the Israeli people.”

The counter-strike came on the heels of the latest Iranian missile attack. On October 1, the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force, fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. The attack came after a series of targeted killings on Iranian soil by Israel targeting key players in Iran's network of non-state allies. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has repeatedly stressed in recent days that it wants to respond decisively to any Israeli attack.

According to Tasnim News Agency, the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, Iran now reserves the right to respond to the Israeli attack. The agency reported, citing informed sources, that Iran is ready for this. An informed source was quoted as saying: “There is no doubt that Israel will face an appropriate response to its actions.”

The Council of Ministers decided to attack on Friday

According to media reports, the Israeli Cabinet approved a retaliatory strike on Iran shortly before the attack. Haaretz newspaper reported that a similar telephone conference was held with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Friday evening. She added that ministers had been informed of the clear scope of the attack plan in recent days. The Israeli military said that Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy was directing the attack on Iran from the Israeli Air Force's underground command center at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, along with Air Force Commander Tomer Bar.

The attack on Iran began during the Jewish day of rest, Saturday. The Jewish high holidays had ended earlier on Thursday evening.

The United States is “informed but not involved”

According to a White House spokesman, the United States was aware of Israeli actions but did not participate in the operation. Washington described the Israeli attacks on targets in Iran as “self-defense maneuvers.” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savitt said on Friday (local time) in Washington that the “targeted attacks on military targets” are also a response to the Iranian missile attack on Israel on October 1. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned on Wednesday that Israeli retaliatory measures should not lead to further escalation in the Middle East.

The United States continued to pledge its support for Israel. The Pentagon said that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defense and the United States' “firm commitment” to Israel's security during a phone call with his Israeli counterpart, Gallant. The United States is determined to “prevent any party from exploiting tensions or expanding conflict in the region.”

Israeli attacks also in Syria

According to the official Syrian news agency (SANA), Israel also bombed military facilities in central and southern Syria on Saturday evening. The agency reported that the missiles came from the direction of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel and Lebanon, and some of them could have been intercepted. According to SANA, explosions have previously occurred near the capital, Damascus. The Syrian regime is allied with Iran, Israel's arch enemy.