In the most recent assault in the fiercely armed adversaries’ intensifying war, Israel attacked Iranian military installations early on Saturday, claiming it was retaliating for Tehran’s strikes on Israel this month.
The Israeli military declared hours later that the operations were finished and its goals met, but a semi-official Iranian news agency promised a “proportional reaction” to Israeli actions against Tehran.
Beginning just after 2am (2230 GMT on Friday), Iranian media reported several explosions in the city and at neighbouring military bases over several hours.
Israel’s state media declared the operation was ended before sunrise, claiming three waves of strikes had been conducted.
Iran said that Israel’s attacks on military sites in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam were effectively repelled by its air defense system, with “limited damage” to some areas.
Following Iran’s October 1 ballistic-missile bombardment, in which around 200 missiles were fired at Israel and one person was murdered in the West Bank, the Middle East has been on edge, waiting for Israel to retaliate.
Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, the Iran-backed Palestinian organization based in Gaza, tensions between Israel and Iran, long-time adversaries, have increased. Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon, who Iran also sponsors, have provided support to Hamas.
