Israeli officials stated that they launched airstrikes on military targets inside Iran on Saturday (October 26) in retaliation for the ballistic missile attack on October 1.
The Israeli military described the attack as a “precise strike on military targets inside Iran,” but did not provide immediate details.
A statement from the Israeli military said, “Since October 7 last year, the Iranian regime and its proxies in the region have been ruthlessly attacking Israel on seven fronts, including direct attacks launched from Iran itself.”
“Like any other sovereign nation in the world, Israel has the right and the duty to respond,” the statement said.
Explosions were reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, with local state media acknowledging the blasts and attributing some of them to the city’s surrounding air defense systems.
Witnesses in Tehran also confirmed hearing loud explosions.
“The sound was very loud, the sky turned red,” an Iranian resident in Tehran who wished to remain anonymous told Reuters.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a cross-border raid on Israel, leading to increased tensions in the Middle East. In recent months, Iran has carried out two ballistic missile attacks on Israel. Israel also conducted a ground invasion against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
During the attacks, US Secretary of State Blinken had just concluded his Middle East trip and returned to the US. He, along with other US officials, warned Israel against escalating the conflict further when responding and excluded Iran’s nuclear sites from retaliation.
(Reference: reports from the Associated Press and Reuters)