Israel strikes Iran military targets, Tehran says damage 'limited' Reuters
Written by Parisa Hafezi and Emily Rose
DUBAI/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel raided military bases in Iran on Saturday, saying it was retaliating for Tehran's missile attacks on Israel this month, the latest clash in a bitter dispute between the armed rivals.
Hours later the Israeli military said it had ended the strike and had achieved its objectives, warning Iran not to retaliate. Iran's official news agency vowed a “proportionate response” to Israel's moves against Tehran.
Iranian media reported multiple explosions within hours in the capital and nearby military bases, starting shortly after 2 a.m. (2230 GMT Friday).
Before dawn, Israel's public broadcaster said that three waves of strikes had been completed and that the operation was over.
Iran said its air defense system had successfully countered Israeli attacks on military targets in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces with “minor damage” in other areas.
The Middle East has been on high alert for Israeli retaliation for a ballistic-missile attack by Iran on October 1, in which it fired about 200 missiles into Israel, killing one person in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
Tensions between arch-rivals Israel and Iran have escalated since Hamas, an Iranian-backed Palestinian militant group based in Gaza, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas is supported by Hezbollah terrorists based in Lebanon, which is also supported by Iran.
Fears that Iran and the US will enter a regional war have grown as Israel has attacked Hezbollah since last month, including airstrikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and ground operations, and its year-long war in Gaza.
“Due to months of ongoing attacks by the Iranian regime against the State of Israel – the Israeli Defense Forces are currently conducting direct strikes on military targets in Iran,” the Israeli military said in a statement announcing the attack.
'RESPONSE REQUIRED'
The military said it had later completed its “targeted” strikes on Iran, hitting truck-based missile production sites and surface-to-air missile sites, adding that its planes had returned home safely.
“If the Iranian regime makes the mistake of starting a new round, we will be forced to respond,” the military said.
The targets did not include Iran's energy infrastructure or nuclear facilities, the US official said.
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.
Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned Israel against any attack.
“Iran has the right to respond to any aggression, and there is no doubt that Israel will face an equal response for any action it takes,” the official Tasnim news agency said on Saturday, citing sources.
A top Biden official said Israel's “targeted and measured strikes” should be the end of direct negotiations between the two countries, but the US was fully prepared to defend Israel again if Iran chose to respond.
WE NOTIFIED BEFORE THE STRIKES
Videos captured by Iranian media showed air defenses continuing to fire at projectiles entering central Tehran, without specifying which sites were being attacked.
Tasnim reported that the bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that were attacked were not damaged and said that Iran was resuming flights as of 9 am (0530 GMT) after being temporarily suspended during the Israeli attack. Neighboring Iraq was also resuming flights, state media said.
Israel attacked some military positions in the central and southern parts of Syria with airstrikes the next day on Saturday, reported the Syrian news agency SANA. Israel has not confirmed that it will strike Syria.
Israel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other security officials closely followed the operation at the military base in Tel Aviv.
Gallant spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shortly after the Israeli strikes began. Austin emphasized the enhanced posture of the United States to protect American personnel, Israel and its allies throughout the region, the Pentagon said.
Israel notified the United States before the strike, but Washington was not involved in the operation, a US official told Reuters.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the Middle East in another attempt to establish a peace agreement, said on Wednesday that Israel's retaliation should not cause a major escalation.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack on Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international law. It urged all parties to exercise more restraint and urged the international community to take measures to reduce the spread and end conflicts in the region.
Even as it tries to convince Israel to moderate its strikes, the United States has moved to assure its closest Middle Eastern ally that it will help defend itself if Tehran launches an attack.
This includes Biden's decision to take the US military's THAAD missile defense system to Israel, and about 100 US troops to use it.
