Israel says retaliatory strikes against Iran ‘completed’ – DW – 10/26/2024

Following Israel‘s overnight strikes on military sites in Iran, the British government has said it supports “Israel’s right to self-defense and to protect itself” provided it remains within the bounds of “international humanitarian law.”

But in a statement by a spokesperson, it warned that “further escalation is in no one’s interest.”

The government was “monitoring this situation closely,” the statement said. 

The Pentagon confirmed that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and received updates on the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) strikes in Iran.

Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder explained that Secretary Austin had “reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to Israel’s security and right to self-defense.” 

Austin also stressed the United States’ determination to prevent “any actor” from exploiting the ongoing tensions to expand the conflict throughout the Middle East.

“The Secretary emphasized the enhanced force posture of the United States to defend US personnel, Israel, and the partners across the region in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations,” the statement added.

The mission against Iran has been completed, Israel’s top military spokesman said in a statement on X.

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a video address.

“We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel,” he said.

“We have both the capability and the resolve to act decisively” and are prepared to defend Israel, Hagari added. 

The Israeli military said its aircraft “struck missile manufacturing facilities used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at the state of Israel over the last year.”

“These missiles posed a direct and immediate threat to the citizens of the state of Israel,” it said. It added that it also “struck surface-to-air missile arrays and additional Iranian aerial capabilities, that were intended to restrict Israel’s aerial freedom of operation in Iran.”

Israel’s strikes were on military targets in Iran, as opposed to oil infrastructure and nuclear sites, US officials said.

The Israeli military warned Iran that the Islamic Republic would “pay a heavy price” if it began a new round of escalation after Israel carried out air strikes in Iran.

“If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we will be obligated to respond. Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of Israel and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation will pay a heavy price,” Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement. 

The war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was the subject of talks between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Arab leaders in London on Friday. 

Blinken met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

Secretary Blinken said there was a sense of urgency to reach a diplomatic resolution to provide security along the border between Israel and Lebanon and protect civilian life after three journalists were killed.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ human rights chief said the Israeli government’s actions in northern Gaza “risk emptying the area of all Palestinians” and argued that “we are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes.”

Israel has been carrying out a major offensive in northern Gaza for more than two weeks and said it has been targeting Hamas’ presence in the area. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled their homes.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said the Islamic Republic was prepared to respond to any Israeli “aggression” following Saturday’s Iranian strikes.

“There is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional reaction for any action it takes,” Tasnim quoted sources as saying.

In response to Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, claimed responsibility for a drone attack against a “military target” in northern Israel.

“Islamic Resistance fighters in Iraq carried out a drone attack at dawn on Saturday against a military target in Acre,” the group said in a statement on Telegram.

Israel said it was targeting military site in Iran in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier this monthImage: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERSIsrael’s attack on Iran is expected to be one-night affair, according to ABC NewsImage: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS

The Israeli military posted on X that the “Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, is currently commanding the strike on Iran from the Israeli Air Force underground command center in Camp Rabin (The Kirya) with the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.”

There was no US involvement in Israel’s military operation against targets in Iran, Reuters news agency reported.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added the US was notified by Israel ahead of its operation against targets in Iran.

Israeli forces also struck some military sites in central and southern  Syria on Saturday, state news agency SANA reported.

Syrian air defense forces intercepted missiles launched by Israel “from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the Lebanese territories,” according to SANA.

Earlier on Saturday, SANA reported explosions in the vicinity of Syria’s capital Damascus. 

Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the October 7 attack by Hamas — which is classified as a terrorist group by many Western countries — on Israeli territory.

 

Iraq has suspended flights in and out of all airports until further notice, state news agency INA reported.

Iraq’s transport ministry suspended flights across all airports until further notice “due to regional tensions,” INA said.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the strikes in Iran, DW Correspondent Aya Ibrahim said.

The president, who is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, is closely following the developments.

The US and its allies said for weeks that Israel had the right to defend itself but had worked behind the scenes to keep Israel from launching an attack that would spur a wider war.

Iranian state TV and state news agency IRNA said that the situation at Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini airports is “normal.”

“Operations at Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport are normal and they continue to operate according to the schedule,” the TV presenter said, citing the chiefs of Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini airports.

It also reported that Israel’s strikes on Iran did not include attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields.

US media outlets NBC News and ABC News reported so too, saying only military targets had been targeted.
 

The White House said Israel’s strikes on military targets in Iran were “an exercise of self-defense” following Tehran’s ballistic missile attack at the start of the month.

National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the “targeted strikes on military targets” were “an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1.” 
 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was carrying out strikes against military targets in Iran in a post on X.

“In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel—right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran,” the post read.

“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,” it added.