Israel has launched air strikes against military targets in Iran in retaliation for the Persian country’s ballistic missile attacks on the Jewish nation on October 1 (the 1st of this month).
Following the completion of Israel’s strikes in Iran, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in an English-language statement warns that if Iran was to “make the mistake” of escalating further, Israel would respond.
“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel,” he says in a video statement disturbed to foreign media.
“We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces has fulfilled its mission,” Hagari said.
Aims of attack achieved, says Hagari, warns Israel can hit ‘additional targets’
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari has said that the goals of the overnight attack on Iran were achieved successfully.
“The reprisal strike was completed, and its objectives were achieved,” Hagari says in a press conference.
The IDF strike targeted Iranian missile manufacturing sites and air defense batteries, in response to Iran’s direct attacks on Israel earlier this month and in April, as well as continuous attacks by its proxies across the Middle East.
“Now, Israel has wider freedom of action also in Iran. Iran struck Israel twice… and has paid the price for that,” he says.
“We are focused on the goals of the war in Gaza and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for a wide regional escalation,” Hagari says.
He says the targets that were hit in Iran overnight were selected from a “wide bank of targets.”
“We will know how to select additional targets [from the bank], and strike them if required. This is a clear message, whoever threatens Israel, will pay a heavy price,” Hagari added.
Biden Administration gave the thumbs-up for Israel’s ‘targeted and proportional’ air strikes
Israel’s retaliatory strike against Iran earlier this evening (last night) targeted “multiple military targets across Iran and outside populated areas,” a senior Biden administration official says.
While the US was not a participant in the attack, President Joe Biden and his national security team worked with their Israeli counterparts over recent weeks to encourage Jerusalem “to conduct a response that was targeted and proportional with low risk of civilian harm.”
“That appears to have been precisely what transpired this evening,” the senior US official says during a briefing with reporters.
During his call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Biden encouraged the Israeli premier “to design a response that served to deter further attacks against Israel while reducing risk of further escalation. That is our objective, and it’s Israel’s objective,” the official says.
“Should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to once again defend against any attack,” the US official stresses, pointing to the recent US deployment of THAAD missile defense batteries to Israel.
“This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” the US official says, adding that “Israel has made clear to the world that its response is now complete.”
“Accordingly, we will call on all countries of influence to press Iran to stop these attacks against Israel so that we can move beyond this direct cycle of attacks over the coming days,” he says.
The US official says Washington remains prepared to lead the effort to bring about ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, and has been engaged in those efforts in recent days.
Report: Israel sent message to Iran ahead of strike via third parties with details, warning not to retaliate
Israel warned Iran ahead of its retaliatory airstrikes earlier this morning not to hit back, in an attempt to prevent back-and-forth attacks from spiraling into a wider conflict, according to sources quoted by the Axios news site.
Three sources quoted in the report say the Israeli message was passed to Iran via several third parties, including the Dutch Foreign Minister.
“The Israelis made it clear to the Iranians in advance what they are going to attack in general and what they are not going to attack,” one source is quoted as saying in the report.
The IDF said a short while after the strikes that among the military sites targeted were air defense batteries and ballistic missile manufacturing sites — those used in direct Iran’s latest attack on Israel on October 1 and an earlier attack on April 14.
Israel also warned Iran that if it does retaliate, further strikes will be more powerful, according to two other sources quoted by Axios.
Announcing the completion of the strikes a few hours ago, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned that if Iran were to “make the mistake” of escalating further, Israel would respond.
Iranian media downplays Israeli strikes, says reports of 100 jets taking part in attack ‘complete lies’
Iran appears to be downplaying Israel’s overnight strikes, with a source quoted by state media denying the IDF’s announcement that dozens of fighter jets took part in the retaliatory attack.
“The reports alleging that 100 Israeli military planes have had a role in the strike are also complete lies, as Israel is seeking to overplay its weak attack,” the source is quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The report also claims that Israeli jets did not cross into Iranian airspace during the strikes and that they caused only limited damage.
Earlier, Iran said its air defense system had successfully countered Israel’s attacks on military targets in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam with “limited damage” to some locations.
The source quoted by Tasnim also says that sites of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in Tehran were not targeted.
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli strikes on Iran as ‘violation of its sovereignty’
Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s targeting of Iran this morning as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international laws, urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint and calling on the international community to take action towards de-escalation and ending conflicts in the region.
The comments came in a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement after Israel this morning launched several waves of what it called “precise strikes” on Iranian military sites, including air defense batteries and ballistic missile manufacturing sites.
Israel says the sites were used in Iran’s latest attack on Israel on October 1 and an earlier attack on April 14.
The Saudi statement does not mention Israel by name.
Jerusalem and Riyadn have never had diplomatic relations, despite US efforts which stalled after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel last year and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Iraqi state media says flights resumed in all airports following brief suspension during Israeli strikes
Baghdad announces the reopening of its airspace and the resumption of flights, according to state news agency INA, citing the Iraqi Transportation Ministry, following a brief suspension attributed to regional tensions.
Israel launched a wave of retaliatory strikes against Iran early this morning, with the military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries.
Iran also announced the resumption of all flights this morning, following a brief suspension.
Iran announces resumption of flights after brief suspension following Israeli airstrikes
TEHRAN – Iran has announced the resumption of flights after a brief suspension following Israeli airstrikes on several military sites in the country earlier this morning.
“Flights will return to normal from 9:00 am (0530 GMT) on Saturday,” the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organisation says, according to the official IRNA news agency.
