Israel says its forces have finished carrying out precision strikes on military targets in Iran. The move is believed to be in retaliation for Iran’s massive missile attack on October 1 that involved more than 180 missiles.
Iranian media said military bases were targeted in the latest attacks. The extent of damage remains unclear.
The chief spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, Daniel Hagari, said in a video statement on Saturday that the State of Israel has the right and duty to respond, like any other sovereign country.
He also said Israel’s defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized, and that it plans to do all it can to protect the country and its people.
Around 6 a.m. on Saturday local time, Israel’s military issued another statement saying it had completed its strikes but that if Iran makes the mistake of carrying out another attack, Israel will have to fight back.
Iran’s state-run television reported that explosions were heard around Tehran shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday, local time.
Iran’s Fars news agency said military bases in western and southwestern Tehran were targeted.
Hours later, loud sounds were again heard in eastern and central parts of Tehran. Local media say they were related to air defense activity.
CNN said Israel carried out a second wave of strikes on Iran, citing a source familiar with the Israeli operation.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is not apparently targeting nuclear or energy facilities, citing information from US officials.
A spokesperson for the US National Security Council told NHK, “We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1.”
An official of the US Defense Department also spoke to NHK, saying the United States was informed of the Israeli attack beforehand and that there is no US involvement.
The trading of direct attacks between the two Middle East military powers follows a similar exchange in April.