Israel carried out strikes against Iran early Saturday, saying it was responding to missile attacks conducted by Tehran earlier in the month.
The military announced the action on the social media platform X: “Right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran”. Air defense systems in Tehran could be seen shooting down projectiles over the east of the city, prompting authorities to shut down Iranian air space.
Hours later, Israel said that it had completed military actions against Iranian military targets and said its planes had returned home safely. The attacks had been expected for weeks, after Iran struck mainland Israel on Oct. 1, and US officials said they had received advanced notice of the Israeli actions.
The Iranians confirmed that military sites in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran had been struck. In its statement, the IDF said: “The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th—on seven fronts—including direct attacks from Iranian soil. Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.
“Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel,” said the statement read by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, chief spokesman of the Israel Defense Forces. In Tehran, the Iranian capital, the sound of explosions could be heard, with state-run media there initially acknowledging at least six blasts were heard around Tehran and saying some of the sounds came from air defense systems around the city.
A Tehran resident told The Associated Press that at least seven explosions could be heard, which rattled the surrounding area. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Iran’s state TV later said that operations at Tehran’s airports including Imam Khomeini International airport were “normal.”
“Operations at Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport are normal and they continue to operate according to the schedule,” the state TV presenter said, citing the chiefs of Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini airports.
Israel’s strikes on Iran did not include attacking Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields, and focused on military targets, NBC News and ABC News reported, citing an Israeli official. In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the “targeted strikes on military targets” are “an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1.”
The United States was “informed beforehand and there is no US involvement,” a US defense official told AFP, under the condition of anonymity. The official did not say how far in advance the United States had been informed or what had been shared by Israel.