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Israeli attacks targeted Iran’s capital Tehran
We’ve seen that Israel has targeted multiple locations across Iran, including the north, east and south, but the main focus of the strikes has been Tehran.
The attacks primarily aimed at Iran’s air defence systems, missile bases and drone facilities. So far, Iranian officials claim Israel has not achieved their goals, stating that the attacks have caused only limited damage.
As daylight breaks, we may soon see the true scale of the impact and whether there are any casualties.
Currently, Iranian officials are not reporting any casualties and assert that their integrated, multi-layered air defence system has functioned effectively, portraying the situation as a success.
Timeline of Israel’s recent attacks on its neighbours
Here are the critical events that have escalated tension in the region:
- On April 1, Israel conducted a strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing 13 people, including two Iranian military commanders.
- On April 13, Iran launched about 300 missiles and drones towards Israeli territory, marking the first time Tehran had conducted a direct missile strike against Israel.
- On July 31, Hamas political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in an Israeli air strike in Tehran. The attack took place a day after Haniyeh attended the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
- On September 17, thousands of hand-held pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon and Syria in an Israeli attack that killed 42 people and injured thousands.
- On September 23, Israel launched an extensive military offensive against southern Lebanon involving some 650 air strikes against Hezbollah targets.
- On September 27, Hezbollah Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli air attack as Israel’s military expanded its attack on Lebanon to include a ground incursion in the south of the country.
- On October 1, Iran launched a second missile strike on Israel, firing at least 200 ballistic missiles. Tehran said the strike was in retaliation for Israel’s military operation in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the killing of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Iran says it is “entitled” to defend itself following Israeli strikes
Iran’s foreign ministry says it “considers itself entitled and obligated to defend itself” after Israel hit military sites overnight in a wave of retaliatory strikes. The ministry condemned Israel’s attacks in a statement, calling the action a “clear violation” of international law.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the use of all the material and spiritual capabilities of the Iranian nation to defend its security and vital interests, as well as standing by its duties toward regional peace and security,” the statement said.
Mixed signals: In an earlier statement Saturday, Iran appeared to downplay the impact of the attack, claiming its air defenses had successfully countered the strikes in three provinces – Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan – and that the damage was “limited.”
The Israeli military has said that it was deliberate in only choosing to target Iranian military facilities, avoiding oil fields and nuclear assets. The effect of the strikes, a US official told CNN, was to both “deter future attacks and also to degrade the capabilities of Iran being able to conduct those types of activities.”
Flights return to normal in Iran after Israeli attacks
Flights have now returned to normal across Iran, according to the country’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO).
Jafar Yazarlou, the spokesman of the CAO, told state media that flights would resume from 9am local time (05:30 GMT), coming shortly after the Israeli military confirmed that its overnight attacks on Iran had concluded.
Neither Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran nor other airports were subjected to any attacks.
Israel reportedly warned Iran in advance of attack
Israel has stated that all their aircraft, which were guided by intelligence and involved in the attack on Iran, have safely returned to Israel.
In the hours leading up to these details, we heard some information about how precisely this strike was approved. We learned that on Friday evening, a call took place during which ministers from Israel’s cabinet spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who then approved the strike plans.
We also know they had been briefed in the days leading up to this call on the parameters of the strike plan regarding Iran.
Another interesting detail we’ve learned is that reports in Israeli media, quoting unnamed Israeli officials, indicate that Israel sent a message to Iran on Friday – before the strike, warning Iran not to retaliate. The reports do not specify how this message was delivered or who conveyed it, only that the message was sent.
That aligns closely with the rhetoric in the statements released by the Israeli army, which have all warned Iran not to retaliate. They have stated that the retaliation against Iran is over and that they do not want further retaliation from Iran.
Hopefully this concludes the direct exchanges between Iran and Israel. Iran downplaying the strikes is a good thing, but it seems they're keeping the door open to strike back. No doubt for when Israel carries out more assassinations :/ Ceasefire needed asap.
