Israel's first open attack on Iran targets missile sites and apparently saves oil and nuclear – National
Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian military targets before dawn on Saturday in retaliation for a series of missiles fired by the Islamic Republic into Israel earlier this month. The strikes were the first time the Israeli military had openly attacked Iran.
After the airstrikes, Iran's Foreign Ministry said it has the right to defend itself, and “considers itself the right and responsibility to defend itself against foreign atrocities.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has “no limits” in defending its interests.
But late Saturday, Iran's military issued a carefully worded statement suggesting that any ceasefire on Israel's moves in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon would end any retaliatory strike.
This is a geographical map of Iran and its capital, Tehran. (AP Photo).
Israel's military said it targeted sites Iran uses to manufacture missiles fired at Israel and surface-to-air missile sites. There was no immediate indication that oil or nuclear facilities had been hit, which would have marked a much larger increase.
Iran's IRNA news agency said four people were killed, all belonging to the country's air defense force. It did not say where they were located. Iran's military said the strikes targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces, without elaborating. The Islamic Republic said the attack caused “minor damage.”
The strikes risk bringing the arch-enemies closer to war at a time of heightened violence in the Middle East, where Iran-backed militant groups – including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – are already at war with Israel.
US President Joe Biden told reporters that Israel had warned him before the strikes and said it appeared “they hit nothing but military targets.” He said he was just finishing the call with the intelligence officers.
“I hope this is the end,” he said.
Israel's first open attack on Iran
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Iran had not faced mass fire from a foreign enemy since its 1980s war with Iraq. Explosions could be heard in Tehran until sunrise.
On October 1, Iran launched at least 180 missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's devastating strikes against Hezbollah. They caused little damage and few injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “made a big mistake.”
Israel is also widely believed to be behind a moderate airstrike in April near a major air base in Iran that hit a Russian-made air defense battery radar system. Iran fired a wave of missiles and drones at Israel in April, causing little damage, after two Iranian generals were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria.
“Iran has attacked Israel twice, including in areas that put civilians at risk, and has paid the price,” said Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said. He added: “If the Iranian regime makes the mistake of starting a new round, we will be forced to respond.”
Pictures released by the Israeli military show members preparing to go on strike with American-made F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.
An Iranian military statement described Israeli warplanes as firing light missiles at a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Iranian border. The missiles hit air defense radar stations, the Iranian military said, some of which were already being repaired.
However, Iran's Revolutionary Guard – which oversees a large number of ballistic missiles – has remained silent since the attack, raising questions about whether any of its bases were hit. The Guard is one of the main power centers within the democratic state of Iran, as its regular army has been sidelined since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Israel's attack did not take out the most visible or symbolic institutions that could trigger a significant response from Iran, said Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at Tel Aviv's Institute for National Security Studies who worked for Israel's National Security Council.
It also gives Israel leverage if needed, and targeting air defense systems weakens Iran's ability to defend itself against future attacks, he said, adding that if there is Iranian retaliation, it should be limited.
Israel has also demonstrated its military precision and strength over Iran, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London-based Chatham House.
“By targeting war zones and missile sites over nuclear and energy infrastructure, Israel is once again sending messages that it does not want to expand at this time,” Vakil said. “This is a sign that the negotiation and back channel efforts to oversee the strike have been successful.”
The Biden administration received assurances from Israel in mid-October that it would not affect nuclear facilities and oil installations.
After these strikes, the streets of the Iranian capital were peaceful and children went to school and shops were open. There were long queues at gas stations – a common occurrence in Tehran when military violence erupts as people stock up on fuel. But some residents of Tehran appeared concerned and avoided interviews with an Associated Press reporter.
Mixed reactions at home and abroad
The leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, criticized the decision to avoid “strategic and economic goals,” saying in X that “we could and should have exacted a very heavy price on Iran.”
The United States has warned of further retaliation, and Britain and Germany say Iran should not respond. “All acts of aggression are condemned and must stop,” said a spokesman for the UN secretary-general.
Saudi Arabia is one of many countries in the region to condemn the strike, calling it a violation of “Iran's sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms.”
Both Hezbollah and Hamas condemned the Israeli attack, with Hezbollah saying it would not interfere with Tehran's support for Lebanese and Palestinian fighters against Israel.
The unrest in the regions has been increasing in recent weeks.
In Lebanon, scores were killed and thousands injured in September when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in attacks targeting Israel. A major Israeli airstrike the following week outside Beirut killed Hezbollah's longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel launched a ground attack in southern Lebanon. More than a million people in Lebanon have been displaced, and the death toll has risen sharply as airstrikes hit Beirut and its surrounding areas.
Enemies for decades
Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel considers Iran the greatest threat, citing its leaders' calls for Israel's destruction, its support for anti-Israel groups and its nuclear program.
During their shadow years of war, an alleged Israeli assassination campaign has killed Iranian nuclear scientists, and Iran's nuclear facilities have been hacked or destroyed.
Meanwhile, Iran has been blamed for attacks on ships in the Middle East, which later escalated into attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships sailing through the Red Sea corridor.
The war in the shadows has come into the light since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other militias attacked Israel. They killed 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and kidnapped about 250 people to Gaza. In response, Israel launched air and ground attacks against Hamas, and Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until all hostages are freed. About a hundred remain, about a third believed to be dead.
More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the devastated Gaza, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters but say more than half were women and children.
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Schreck from Jerusalem. Correspondents Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Abby Sewell in Beirut; Lolita C. Baldor, Farnoush Amiri and Zeke Miller in Washington; David Rising in Bangkok; and Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.
