Israel launched early Saturday morning airstrikes on what it described as military targets in Iran in retaliation for a ballistic missile attack on October 1, as reported by authorities. There are no reports of damage in the Islamic Republic yet.
The attack, which Israel had threatened to carry out for weeks, comes as the Middle East finds itself on the brink of a regional war, more than a year after an initial attack by the militant group Hamas against Israel.
The Israeli army described Saturday's attack as "precise strikes on military targets in Iran", without providing immediate details.
"The regime in Iran and its allies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7, including direct attacks from Iranian territory. Like any other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and duty to respond," said an Israeli military statement.
How did the attack in Iran feel?
In Tehran, the Iranian capital, explosions were heard, and state media initially acknowledged the detonations, stating that some of the sounds came from air defense systems around the city.
A resident of Tehran told The Associated Press that at least seven explosions were heard, which shook the surrounding area.
At the same time, state media in Syria described their air defenses as being directed against "hostile targets" there as well.
Iran has launched two ballistic missile attacks against Israel in the last few months amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Setback in ceasefire negotiations?
This Saturday's attack occurred just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was returning to the country after a tour of the Middle East in which he and other US officials warned Israel to moderate a response that would not further aggravate the conflict in the region and exclude nuclear sites in Iran.
The White House National Security Council spokesperson, Sean Savett, said in a statement that “we understand that Israel is carrying out targeted attacks against military targets in Iran” and referred journalists to the Israeli government for more details on the operation.
Two US officials said that the United States was previously notified by Israel about the attacks. They stated that there was no US involvement in the operation.