Israel has launched a series of “precise strikes” against Iran, according to the Israeli military.
“[L]ike every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond", due to "the regime in Iran and its proxies in the region... relentlessly attacking Israel,” since 7 October 2023, the Israel Defense Forces told the BBC.
Explosions were heard early on Saturday morning local time west of the Iranian capital of Tehran, according to local media.
At least five explosions were heard, according to Israeli newspaper Haartez.
Israel is directing “fully mobilized” offensive capabilities towards “military targets” within Iran, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a video statement 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.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 25, 2024
The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking… pic.twitter.com/OcHUy7nQvN
“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,” he added.
Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles into Israel earlier this month, less than 24 hours after Israel began its offensive against Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“It was the sound of bombs and explosions,” Maryam Naraghi, an Iranian journalist who lives near the military site of Parchin, told The New York Times. “It was very close to where I am in the eastern part of the city.”
Iranian state media initially described a negligible impact from Israel’s strikes on the country.
The IRNA news agency cited a security source claiming loud sounds heard in Tehran were caused by “defence activity in Tehran, and the air defense was successful during this incident,” according to Al Jazeera.
The agency added in a separate Telegram post that there were no reports of incidents requiring assistance and major airports were running as “normal.”
As Israel acknowledged striking Iran overnight, explosions were also reportedly heard in Damascus, Syria, according to state TV reports.
Israel has carried out strikes on the Iranian ally elsewhere in the post-October 7 conflict, including an attack widely attributed to the IDF on an Iranian consulate building in Syria in April, and a strike on Thursday near Damascus.
The Israeli strikes on Iran represent the latest escalation in the country’s war with Hamas, another Iranian ally, which has become a larger regional conflict involving Israel, Hamas, Lebanon, and Syria.
The White House was notified shortly before the strikes against Iran began, Fox News reports.
The U.S. announced plans earlier this month to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and roughly 100 soldiers to operate it to bolster Israel’s air defenses, amid fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
