Israel launches strikes on Iran
Israel’s military carried out strikes against Iran early on October 26th, according to the Arab News and agencies.
It’s military announced the action on X, tweeting “right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran”.
Iran’s air defence systems could be seen shooting down projectiles over eastern Tehran, and authorities shut down Iranian airspace. Israel announced hours later that it had concluded its operation and its planes had returned home safely.
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Israel said it was responding to Iran’s missile attack carried out earlier this month, and the US said Israel had informed them in advance of their actions in Iran. Iran itself defended its attack on Israel on October 1st as “legal, rational and legitimate,” according to The Guardian.
Iran confirmed that the attacks hit military sties in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.
The IDF said in a statement that “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. Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari added “our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel.”
Israel’s attack did not strike Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields, and instead was aimed at military targets, according to NBC and ABC, citing officials in Israel.
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White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett stated the “targeted strikes on military targets,” are “an exercise of self-defence and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1.”
Iran has attacked Israel twice in the last year. The first was in April, following an Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy in Damascus. Israel responded to that attack with strikes on Iran.
Arab News and agencies, The Guardian, Reuters
