Israel has launched air attacks against what it describes as “military targets” in Iran, with Iranian state-run media recognizing the blasts and claiming that part of the sounds came from air defense systems around the capital Tehran.
There was no immediate word on damage in Iran from the early Saturday strikes, but Iranian media reported “sounds of strong explosions” in and around Tehran and other towns.
Fearing Iranian retribution, the Israeli military announced that it had “fully mobilized” its offensive and defensive weapons. In a second statement, military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari urged the Israeli people to remain “alert and vigilant”.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, Israel has targeted multiple military bases in the west and southwest of Tehran. According to Tasnim, no Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases were hit in the attacks.
Israel warned the United States before of its strikes on Iranian sites, but the US was not participating in the operation, a US official told Reuters.
Hours later, Israel’s military proclaimed the completion of its attack, claiming to have destroyed Iran’s missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays, and other aerial capabilities throughout the country. Iran stated that Israeli strikes targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran provinces, resulting in “limited damage.”
Iran, which has promised to respond in kind, has launched two ballistic missile attacks on Israel in recent months, despite Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in Gaza, which began in October 2023. Israel has also conducted a ground invasion of Lebanon.
Saturday’s strike occurred just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to the United States from a visit to the Middle East in which he and other US officials cautioned Israel not to escalate the crisis in the region and to exclude Iranian nuclear targets.
Also Read: US Begins Talks With Iran Over American Hostages In Tehran
