“We conducted targeted and precise strikes against military targets in Iran, avoiding immediate threats to the State of Israel,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a video. “If the Iranian regime makes the mistake of starting a new round of expansion, we will be forced to respond,” he added.
The recent Iranian missile attack was followed by a retaliatory strike. On October 1, Iran’s elite military force, the Revolutionary Guards, fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. The attack followed a series of targeted killings on Iranian territory by Israel, targeting key players in Iran’s network of non-state allies. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have repeatedly stressed in recent days that they intend to respond decisively to an Israeli attack.
Iran: Fighter jets do not enter airspace
According to Iranian reports, the Israeli warplanes did not enter Iranian airspace during their strikes. Instead, Israel’s air force fired long-range surface-to-air missiles at targets in Iran near the Iraqi border, according to a General Staff report carried by state media. The information could not be independently verified.
Iran ‘ready’ for attack
According to the Revolutionary Guards’ mouthpiece Tasnim news agency, Iran now has the right to retaliate against Israel’s attack. Iran is ready for this, the agency said, citing insiders. “There is no doubt that Israel will face a befitting response to its actions,” an insider was quoted as saying.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Iran, flight services have returned to normal since this morning. Due to the already precarious situation, Lufthansa Group and its Austrian subsidiary AUA have suspended flights to the Iranian capital Tehran until October 31. Other airlines, including Emirates, have done the same.
The cabinet decided to launch the attack on Friday
According to media reports, the Israeli cabinet had authorized a retaliatory attack on Iran shortly before the attack. Haaretz newspaper reported that the telephone conference involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Jove Gallant took place on Friday evening. Ministers were said to have been briefed in recent days on the scope of the apparent attack plan. The Israeli military said Chief of Staff Herzey Halevi directed the attack on Iran with Air Force Chief Tomar Barr from the Israeli Air Force’s underground command center at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
The attack on Iran began during the Jewish Sabbath, the Sabbath. The high Jewish holidays had previously ended on Thursday evening.
US “informed but not involved”
A White House spokesman said the US was aware of Israel’s actions but was not involved in the operation. Washington described Israel’s attacks on targets in Iran as “defensive maneuvers”. National Security Council spokesman Sean Chavet said in Washington on Friday (local time) that the “targeted strikes on military targets” were in response to an Iranian missile attack on Israel on October 1. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned on Wednesday that Israel’s retaliatory actions should not lead to further escalation in the Middle East.
The US continued to support Israel. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense and America’s “iron-clad commitment” to Israel’s defense in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Gallant, the Pentagon said. The US is committed to “preventing any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding conflict in the region”.
International concern over further escalation
In initial reactions, states around the world expressed concern about the risk of further escalation and called for prudence. These include Britain, which has spoken out about Israel’s right to defend itself against Iranian aggression, and countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, which have condemned the Israeli attack. Hamas blamed Israel and the United States. Lebanon-based radical Islamist Hezbollah militants said they carried out a drone attack on an Israeli air force base in the early hours of the morning.
Israel is also attacking Syria
According to Syrian state news agency SANA, Israel shelled military facilities in central and southern Syria on Saturday night. The agency said the rockets came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon, some of which may have been intercepted. According to Sanaa, there have been earlier explosions near the capital Damascus. The Syrian regime is allied with Israel’s arch-enemy, Iran.
