Nearly a month after Israel vowed to avenge a missile barrage that raised fears of a full-scale Middle East war, Iran said it was “entitled” to self-defense after an Israeli attack on military sites in the Islamic republic caused “limited” damage and killed four soldiers.
The Israeli military said its retaliatory air strikes hit Iran’s rocket fabricating offices, rocket establishments and different frameworks in a few locales. It warned Iran that if it responded, it would “pay a heavy price.”
A “proportional reaction” to the Israeli actions against Tehran was promised by a semi-official Iranian news agency.
What we currently know:
Syrian state media reports Israeli strikes on Syrian military sites. Middle East condemns “violation of sovereignty,” and Britain urges Iran not to respond. Iranian media reported multiple explosions in the capital and at nearby military bases beginning shortly after 2 a.m. (around 10:30 p.m. GMT on Friday). US official claims that US was informed of the plan but not involved.
Israel’s public broadcaster announced before dawn that the operation had ended after three waves of strikes.
Saturday, Iran’s air defense confirmed that several military bases had been the target of an Israeli attack. The military said two warriors were killed in the strikes.
It said in a statement that “this fake regime (Israel) attacked parts of military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam,” adding that the attack “caused limited damage” while it was intercepted.
The Iranian armed force later said the loss of life rose to four. ” According to a statement from the army, “two more soldiers… have succumbed to their wounds and died,” according to the official IRNA news agency.
As a result of the “activation of the air defence system” in response to an Israeli attack, Iranian state television had reported blasts all over the capital.
Air defenses continuously fired at what appeared to be incoming projectiles in central Tehran, according to videos published by Iranian media, without specifying which sites were being targeted.
Tasnim stated that the bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that were attacked were unharmed and that Iran would resume flights at 9 a.m. (5:30 a.m. GMT) after they had been suspended during Israel’s attack.
Iran’s foreign ministry stated that the nation was “entitled and duty-bound to defend itself against the Zionist regime’s acts of aggression,” according to the official IRNA news agency.
It also stated that the airstrikes were “intercepted and countered successfully” by the Iranian air defense command. It added, “Iran is entitled to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression in accordance with the inherent right to legitimate defense enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”
According to the statement, Iran has vehemently condemned the “Zionist regime’s aggressive action” against a number of Iranian military bases because it sees it as a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, particularly the prohibition against using threats or force against a country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
“Based on the inherent right to legitimate defense, which is also enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter,” the foreign ministry stated, “as emphasised by the relevant authorities of the Islamic Republic,” Iran is entitled and obligated to defend itself against the Israeli aggression.
According to the statement, “the Islamic Republic reminds the regional countries of their individual and collective responsibility to safeguard peace and stability in the region” and “calls for maximising all its material and spiritual capabilities to defend its security and vital interests and recognising its duties toward regional peace and stability.”
Iran, according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, is determined to defend itself.
In an interview with the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s official website, Araghchi stated, “I think we’ve shown that our determination to defend ourselves knows no limits.”
The minister made the first remarks by a senior Iranian official since the strikes before dawn.
“We will guard our domain and our country,” Araghchi said. ” I think that has already been seen by everyone.
Early on Saturday, airstrikes from Israel hit some military sites in the center and south of Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency Sana.
Iran’s military claimed that Israeli strikes on Tehran and other provinces before dawn only damaged radar systems.
In a statement that was broadcast on state television, the armed forces general staff stated, “Thanks to the timely performance of the country’s air defences, the attacks caused limited damage and a few radar systems were damaged.”
Syria strikes have not been confirmed by Israel.
The Iraqi state news agency reported that neighboring Iraq was also restarting flights.
In anticipation of Israel’s response to Iran’s ballistic missile barrage on October 1, when it fired around 200 missiles at Israel, killing one person in the Israel-occupied West Bank, the Middle East has been on edge.
On October 26, 2024, a general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard in Tehran, Iran. — Wana (West Asia News Agency via Reuters) Since Hamas, a Gaza-based Palestinian group, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, tensions between archrivals Israel and Iran have risen. Hezbollah, based in Lebanon and allegedly backed by Iran, has provided Hamas with support.
Israel’s intensifying assault on Hezbollah, which has included airstrikes on the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, and a ground operation, as well as its year-old offensive in Gaza, has raised concerns that the US and Iran would be drawn into a regional war.
Israel is entirely to blame for the escalation cycle: The foreign ministry of Pakistan issued a statement today stating that Pakistan strongly condemned Israel’s military strikes against Iran.
The ministry declared: Israel’s military actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter.
It added, “These strikes constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and undermine the path to regional peace and stability.”
“Israel bears full responsibility for the current cycle of escalation and expansion of the conflict in the region,” the Foreign Office added.
It urged the United Nations Security Council to keep the peace and security of the world and take immediate action to end “Israeli recklessness in the region and its criminal behavior.”
Additionally, it pleaded with the international community to restore regional security and peace.
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his “deeply concerned” regarding the “recent act of Israeli aggression against Iran.”
