Israel’s first open attack on Iran targets missile sites, apparently separates oil and nuclear sites

A view from Tehran, the capital of Iran, on Saturday. Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes on Saturday in retaliation for a barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired at Israel earlier this month. Vahid Salemi/Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel An attack was carried out on military targets in Iran The airstrikes were carried out before dawn on Saturday in retaliation for a barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired at Israel earlier this month. The attack was the first time the Israeli army openly attacked Iran.

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

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

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

The Iranian army stated that the attacks targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces, but did not provide details. Iran’s Al-Alam television reported that two soldiers of the Iranian army were killed.

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

ISRAEL’S FIRST OPEN ATTACK ON IRAN

Iran has not faced a sustained barrage of fire from a foreign enemy since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.

Iran launched at least 180 missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for Israel’s devastating blows to Hezbollah. They caused minimal damage and few injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “made a big mistake.”

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

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

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

Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at the Tel Aviv Institute for National Security Studies who previously worked for Israeli National Security, said Israel’s attack effectively told Iran it would not keep quiet, but would eliminate highly visible or symbolic facilities that could prompt a significant Iranian response. He said he didn’t lift it. Council.

This gives Israel room to escalate tensions if necessary, he said, and that targeting air defense systems would weaken Iran’s ability to defend against future attacks, adding that if Iran retaliates, it should be limited.

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

“By targeting military sites and missile facilities on its nuclear and energy infrastructure, Israel is also sending the message that it will not escalate tensions further for now. “This is a sign that diplomacy and back-channel efforts to soften the attack have been successful.”

Nuclear facilities and oil facilities were seen as possible targets for an Israeli response before U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration received assurances from Israel in mid-October that it would not strike such targets.

After the strikes, the streets calmed down in the Iranian capital, children went to school as usual, and shops opened. The only signs of concern were the long queues at gas stations; It’s a common occurrence in Tehran, where military violence has increased as people stock up on fuel. But some Tehran residents appeared concerned and avoided speaking to an Associated Press reporter.

MIXED REACTIONS AT DOMESTIC AND ABROAD

Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, criticized the decision to avoid “strategic and economic targets”, saying “We could and should have demanded a much heavier price from Iran” for X.

The US warned against further retaliation, and Britain and Germany said Iran should not respond. “Any actions that escalate tensions are condemnable and must be stopped,” a spokesman for the UN secretary-general said.

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

Regional tensions have been increasing in recent weeks. Dozens of people died and thousands were injured when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon in attacks attributed to Israel in September. The following week, a major Israeli airstrike outside Beirut killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel launched a ground operation against Southern Lebanon. More than a million Lebanese have been displaced and the death toll has risen sharply due to air strikes in and around Beirut.

ENEMIES FOR DECADES

Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel sees 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 years of shadow wars, a suspected Israeli assassination campaign killed Iranian nuclear scientists and Iran’s nuclear facilities were hacked or sabotaged.

Meanwhile, Iran has been blamed for attacks on shipping in the Middle East, which later turned into attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on shipping via the Red Sea corridor.

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

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

Gambrell reported from Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, and Schreck reported 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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