08.00 BST
Summary
If you’re
just joining us, here’s a recap of today’s developments as Israeli launched an
air attack on military sites in Iran. It’s approaching 10.30am in Tehran and
10am in Tel Aviv.
- Israel struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday, saying it was retaliating against Tehran’s strikes on Israel early this month. Iranian media reported multiple explosions over several hours in Tehran, the capital, and at nearby military bases, starting shortly after 2am local time (2230 GMT on Friday).
- At least seven explosions were reported over Tehran and nearby Karaj as well as the eastern city of Mashhad just after 2.30am as Israeli jets struck military targets in the country.
- The Israeli military said it had completed its “targeted” air attacks on Saturday morning, hitting missile manufacturing sites and aerial defences in several areas inside Iran, and that its planes had safely returned home. Israel’s public broadcaster said three waves of strikes had been completed. The Israeli military said after its airstrikes: “If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we will be obligated to respond.”
- Iran said its air defence system successfully countered Israel’s attacks on military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam with “limited damage” to some locations. A semi-official Iranian news agency vowed a “proportional reaction” to Israeli moves against Tehran.
- In the US, a senior Biden official said Israel’s “targeted and proportional strikes” should be the end of direct exchange of fire between the two countries, but that the US was fully prepared to once again defend Israel if Iran should choose to respond. A US official said earlier that Israel notified Washington before carrying out the strikes, which is said were “an exercise of self-defence”, and that the US has no involvement in the Israeli military operation.
- Iran briefly suspended all flights after the Israeli strikes. Its civil aviation authority later resumed flights from 9am (0530 GMT) on Saturday.
- Iranian media initially appeared to downplay the airstrikes, noting that Tehran’s airport was operating normally. State TV reported several strong explosions heard around the capital, while the state news agency, IRNA, said there had been no casualties. There was no immediate official comment about the source of explosions, which Iranian news outlets reported were under investigation. Air defence systems were activated around the country.
- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took the rare step of acknowledging the attack on Iran, in a confirmation in a statement that a decades-old shadow war between the enemy states has now firmly moved into the open. The IDF posted on X: “In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the state of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran.” Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, said dozens of fighter jets were involved in the operation.
- The attacks were widely expected as a retaliation to a missile barrage launched by Iran on 1 October that saw an estimated 180 ballistic missiles fired towards Tel Aviv and military bases, in an unprecedented direct altercation between the two regional enemy states.
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