Israel’s first open attack on Iran targets missile sites, apparently ridding them of oil and nukes

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel they attacked military targets in Iran with airstrikes before dawn on Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired at Israel earlier this month. The strikes marked the first time the Israeli military had openly attacked Iran.

Following the airstrikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it had the right to self-defense and “considers itself justified and obliged to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression.”

The Israeli military said it had targeted facilities that Iran used to produce the missiles fired at Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile sites. There was no immediate indication that oil or nuclear sites had been hit, which would have marked a much more serious escalation. Israel did not provide an immediate assessment of the damage.

Explosions could be heard in Iran’s capital, Tehran, until sunrise. The Islamic Republic said the attacks caused “limited damage”.

Iran’s military said the strikes targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces, without giving details. Iran’s military said two soldiers were killed, Iran’s Al-Alam TV reported.

The strikes risk pushing the enemies closer to all-out war at a time of spiraling violence in the Middle East, where Iran-backed militant groups – including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – are already at war with Israel.

ISRAEL’S FIRST OPEN ATTACK IN IRAN

Iran has not faced sustained bombing from a foreign enemy since its 1980s war with Iraq.

On October 1, Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel in retaliation for the devastating strikes Israel had landed against Hezbollah. They caused minimal damage and a few injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had “made a big mistake”.

Israel is also believed to be behind a limited airstrike in April near a major Iranian air base that hit the radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery. Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel in April, causing minimal damage, after two Iranian generals were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic post in Syria.

“Iran attacked Israel twice, including in locations that endangered civilians, and paid the price for it,” said Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. “We are focused on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for broader regional escalation.”

Hagari added: “If the regime in Iran makes the mistake of starting a new round of escalation, we will be forced to respond.”

Israel’s attack effectively told Iran that it will not remain silent, while not removing highly visible or symbolic installations that could provoke a significant response from Iran, said Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. , who previously worked for Israel’s National Security. Council.

It gives Israel room to escalate if needed, and targeting air defense systems weakens Iran’s capabilities to defend against future attacks, he said, adding that if there is any Iranian retaliation, it should be limited.

Israel has again shown its precision and military capabilities are superior to Iran’s, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank in London.

“By targeting military sites and missile installations on nuclear and energy infrastructure, Israel is also sending a message that it does not want to de-escalate just yet. This is a sign that diplomacy and back-channel efforts to moderate the strike have been successful.”

Nuclear and oil facilities were seen as possible targets for Israel’s response, before US President Joe Biden’s administration obtained assurances from Israel in mid-October that it would not hit such targets.

After the strikes, the streets of Iran’s capital were calm and children went to school and shops opened as usual. The only sign of concern was the long queues at petrol stations – a common occurrence in Tehran when military violence erupts as people stock up on fuel. But some Tehran residents seemed worried and avoided conversations with an Associated Press reporter.

MIXED REACTIONS AT HOME AND ABROAD

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the decision to avoid “strategic and economic targets”, telling X that “we could and should have demanded a much higher price from Iran”.

The United States warned against further retaliation, and Britain and Germany said Iran should not retaliate. “All acts of escalation are reprehensible and must stop,” the UN secretary-general’s spokesman said.

Saudi Arabia was one of several countries in the region to condemn the attack, calling it a violation of “Iran’s sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms.” His foreign ministry rejected the escalation in the region.

Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks. In Lebanon, dozens were killed and thousands injured in September when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in attacks attributed to Israel. A massive Israeli airstrike the following week outside Beirut killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon. More than a million Lebanese were displaced and the death toll rose sharply as airstrikes pounded in and around Beirut.

Enemies for decades

Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Israel views Iran as the biggest threat, citing its leaders’ calls for Israel’s destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups, and the country’s nuclear program.

During their years-long shadow war, an alleged Israeli assassination campaign killed top Iranian nuclear scientists and Iranian nuclear facilities were hacked or sabotaged.

Meanwhile, Iran was blamed for attacks on shipping in the Middle East, which later turned into attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping through the Red Sea corridor.

The shadow war has increasingly come into the light since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other militants attacked Israel. They killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages in Gaza. In response, Israel launched a devastating air and ground offensive against Hamas, and Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting until all the hostages were freed. About 100 remain, about a third believed to be dead.

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in mostly devastated Gaza, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half have been women and children.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Schreck from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Abby Sewell in Beirut; Lolita C. Baldor, Farnoush Amiri and Zeke Miller in Washington; David Rising in Bangkok; and Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware contributed to this report.

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