JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel carried out its long-awaited response to Iranian missile attacks early Saturday by carrying out a series of air strikes against the Islamic Republic.
Here’s what you should know:
Multiple targets were hit
Under the cover of darkness early Saturday, Israel bombed multiple sites in different parts of Iran. Explosions were heard in the capital, Tehran, which is located deep in the country.
The Israeli military said its “precise and targeted strikes” hit missile air defense systems and “air capabilities” as well as missile manufacturing facilities used to produce weapons that were used against Israel. Iran insisted that the strikes caused only “limited damage.”
It was not immediately clear how strong Israel’s strike was, and neither country provided detailed assessments of the damage. Iran said that the strikes targeted military bases in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.
Israel seemed confident of its ability to strike Iran’s air defenses, as military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagary said, “Israel now enjoys greater freedom for air operations in Iran.”
What is not hit is also important
The strikes do not appear to target facilities that would guarantee a harsh Iranian response. The most prominent of these include Iran’s oil infrastructure, the backbone of the OPEC member state’s economy, and its nuclear facilities. President Biden said earlier this month that he would not support an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites.
US officials felt they had obtained agreement from Israel not to strike nuclear or oil sites after sending in another air defense missile battery and associated forces, although these assurances were not put into effect.
Israel indicated that the pre-dawn bombardment marked the end of this offensive.
“The retaliatory strike has been completed, and its objectives have been achieved,” Hagari said early Saturday, which was Saturday in Israel.
Shortly after, the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization announced that commercial flights would resume after being halted due to air strikes.
Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at the Tel Aviv-based National Security Institute, said the Israeli attacks were intended to deter future aggression and “show that we will not be silent,” but to do so in a way that would minimize Iran’s embarrassment. studies.
Anger and calls for restraint
The White House indicated that it wants the strikes to end the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, and warned Iran against responding.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was a “need to avoid further regional escalation” and called on all parties to exercise restraint.
Reactions in the region were more harsh. Saudi Arabia, Iran’s main Arab rival, condemned the attack, describing it as a threat to regional security and a violation of international laws and norms.
Turkey accused Israel of “pushing our region to the brink of a greater war,” and said that “putting an end to the terrorism created by Israel in the region has become a historical duty.”
Syria and Iraq were among other countries in the region that condemned the strikes. So did Hamas, which along with other militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking about 250 hostages to Gaza.
The Israeli retaliatory attack on the Gaza Strip has so far killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but say women and children make up more than half of the deaths.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Iran would respond to the air strikes, describing them as a clear violation of international law, stressing Tehran’s right to self-defense.
Israel described Saturday’s attack as a response to previous air attacks by Iran using missiles and explosive drones in April and another missile attack this month. Many of these projectiles were shot down before they reached their targets.
It is possible that Iran will attempt another direct bombardment, although doing so risks provoking another direct Israeli attack on its territory at a time when its defenses are weakening.
It could also encourage allied armed groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, to intensify their attacks, even though both have suffered serious blows in their ongoing wars with Israel.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, predicted that “Iran will reduce the impact of the strikes, which are actually very serious.”
She said that Iran is “besieged by its military restrictions, economic restrictions resulting from sanctions, and the result of the US elections,” which may affect the path of further escalation or diplomatic engagement.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
