Israel attacks Iran military targets, explosions reported in Tehran By Reuters
Written by Parisa Hafezi and Emily Rose
DUBAI/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel hit back at Iran on Saturday, saying its forces carried out strikes against military targets, as Iranian media reported that there were more explosions in and around the capital Tehran.
The Middle East has been anxiously awaiting Israeli retaliation for Iran’s ballistic-missile attack on October 1, when some 200 missiles were fired at Israel, Iran’s second direct attack on Israel in six months. .
Those strikes, which Iran said targeted Israeli military facilities, came after Israel killed the top leadership of the Iranian Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Hezbollah terrorists have joined the war against Israel in support of Hamas, a Palestinian militant group based in Gaza, also allied with Iran, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Due to months of ongoing attacks by the Iranian regime against the State of Israel – currently the Israeli Defense Forces are conducting direct strikes against Iranian military targets,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Israel has the right and duty to respond to attacks by Tehran and its sponsors, including missile attacks from Iranian soil, the military said.
The extent of the attack was not yet clear, but an Israeli public broadcaster said dozens of warplanes had struck the military targets.
The targets did not include energy infrastructure or nuclear facilities, NBC News and ABC News reported, citing an Israeli official.
US President Joe Biden had warned that Washington, Israel’s biggest supporter and arms supplier, would not support a strike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities and said Israel should consider other means of attacking Iran’s oil fields.
IRAN IS PLAYING DOWN THE STRIKES
The official Iranian Fars news agency said several military bases west and southwest of Tehran were targeted by Israel.
Iranian media reported that heavy explosions were heard in Tehran and nearby Karaj, but played down the attack in the first report, saying that life was continuing as normal.
Tasnim News Agency said that the bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that were attacked were not damaged.
State TV showed footage of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport with arriving passengers disembarking from their planes.
Israel also targeted other military positions in the central and southern parts of Syria with airstrikes the next day on Saturday, Syrian media SANA reported.
The Syrian Air Force intercepted missiles fired by Israel “from the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanese territories” and shot down some of them, SANA said.
Israel has not confirmed that it will strike Syria.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned Israel not to launch an attack, saying any strike on Iran would be met with strong retaliation.
Israel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were closely following the operation of the military base in Tel Aviv.
The United States was informed by Israel before it attacked Iran but did not take part in this, a US official told Reuters.
“We understand that Israel is conducting strikes against Iranian forces as a means of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st,” said White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett.
Fears that Iran and the US will enter a regional war have grown as Israel has attacked Hezbollah since last month, including airstrikes in Beirut and ground operations, as well as its year-long conflict in the Gaza Strip.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Israel’s retaliation should not lead to a major escalation.
Israel’s defense minister said this week that enemies will “pay a heavy price” for trying to harm Israel.
