Tehran Warns of Self-Defense After Israeli Attacks, US Warns Iran Against ‘Mistake’ of Retaliation

Last Update:27 October 2024 08:24 IST

Israeli forces launched “precision strikes on military targets in Iran” early Saturday in retaliation for an Iranian ballistic missile attack on October 1.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin | Image/AP

The United States warned Tehran on Sunday not to respond to Israeli attacks on military sites in Iran and underlined opportunities to reduce tensions in the region.

Israeli forces launched “precision” strikes against military targets in Iran early on Saturday in retaliation for Tehran’s ballistic missile attack on October 1.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, after meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, said, “Iran should not make the mistake of responding to Israeli attacks, which should signal the end of this exchange.”

“I emphasized that the United States is well-positioned to defend US forces and facilities in the region, and I made clear that Iran should not make the mistake of responding to Israeli attacks, which should mark the end of this exchange,” Austin added.

The United States reaffirmed its firm commitment to Israel’s security and its support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Iran Warns of Self-Defense

Iran warned on Saturday that Israel would defend itself after airstrikes killed at least four soldiers, further raising fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East.

Israel warned that Iran would “pay a heavy price” if it responded to the attacks, and the US, Germany and Britain demanded that Tehran not further escalate the conflict.

While Iran insisted it was its “right and duty” to defend itself, its Lebanese ally Hezbollah said it had launched rocket salvoes targeting five residential areas in northern Israel.

The Israeli army said 80 bullets were fired at the border on Saturday.

Hezbollah later issued an evacuation warning for more than a dozen places in Israel, while the Israeli army issued similar warnings for two neighborhoods in the south of Beirut.

Israel Hits Iranian Military Complex

Commercial satellite images showed Israeli air strikes on Saturday hitting buildings that Iran uses to mix solid fuel for ballistic missiles, according to different assessments by two American researchers.

The decisions were reached by David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector who heads the research group at the Institute for Science and International Security, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a think tank in Washington.

They told Reuters separately that Israel had struck Parchin, a massive military complex near Tehran. According to Eveleth, Israel also struck Hojir, a large missile production facility near Tehran.

Iran announced that 4 soldiers were killed

Israeli forces confirmed that anti-aircraft fire echoed around Tehran and said it hit Iran’s missile factories and military facilities in several provinces.

An army spokesman said that “the retaliatory strike was completed and the mission accomplished” and that the Israeli planes “returned safely”.

Iran confirmed that Israel targeted military facilities around the capital and other provinces, saying the raids caused “limited damage” but four soldiers died.

Iran’s armed forces general staff said only radar systems were damaged in the attacks and any immediate threat of retaliation was precluded.