Israel Launches Strikes on Military Targets in Iran

In response to a ballistic missile attack from Iran on October 1, Israel launched targeted airstrikes early Saturday on what it described as Iranian military sites. No immediate details emerged regarding the extent of the damage in Iran.

The strike had been anticipated by Israel, which had repeatedly signaled its intent to respond as regional tensions have continued to mount. Over a year after the initial attack by Hamas on Israel, the region remains on edge. Israel has since intensified its military campaigns in Gaza and expanded into Lebanon, aiming at militant groups supported by Iran.

Israel’s military released a statement describing the strikes as “precise attacks on military targets in Iran,” without providing further specifics. The statement added, “Iran’s regime and its regional proxies have continued assaults on Israel since October 7…including direct attacks from Iranian soil.”

In Tehran, residents reported hearing at least seven loud explosions. State media acknowledged the sounds, attributing some to air defense systems responding near the capital. International flights began redirecting around western Iran as news of the strikes spread, according to flight-tracking data.

Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that their air defenses were also responding to “hostile targets.”

In recent months, Iran has launched two missile attacks against Israel, following the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas that erupted after Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israel, which reportedly killed around 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages.

Since then, more than 42,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza, according to local health authorities, with hundreds more killed in Israeli military actions in the West Bank. Israel’s campaign has also extended into Lebanon with ground invasions and extensive airstrikes.

The timing of the latest Israeli strike coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s return from a Middle Eastern tour, where U.S. officials cautioned Israel to avoid exacerbating regional tensions and to exclude Iranian nuclear facilities from any potential strikes.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett stated, “We understand that Israel is targeting military sites in Iran” but deferred to Israeli authorities for additional details. U.S. officials confirmed that Israel had notified Washington of its plans, although the U.S. was not involved in the operation.

The conflict between Israel and Iran, ongoing since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, has seen frequent clashes in recent years, with Israel citing Iran’s support for militant groups and its nuclear ambitions as primary concerns. In response to escalating Iranian missile attacks, particularly the October 1 strike, Israel committed to a forceful retaliation.