ReutersIsrael carried out what it called “precise and targeted” air strikes on Iran in retaliation missile attack Earlier this month, Tehran launched an attack against Israel.
It was the latest in a series of exchanges between the two countries that have for months raised fears of an all-out regional war.
But while Iran said Saturday’s attack on a military site killed four soldiers, early indications were that it was smaller in scope than feared.
Here’s what we know.
How did the attack unfold?
At around 2:15 a.m. local time (22:45 GMT on Friday), Iranian media reported an explosion in the capital Tehran and its surrounding areas.
Video uploaded to social media and confirmed by the BBC showed projectiles flying over the city, while residents in some areas reported hearing loud roars.
Soon after, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it was conducting “precision” strikes against Iranian “military targets.”
The attack involved dozens of aircraft, including jets and drones. These targets include Iran’s air defense systems and missile and drone production and launch facilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yove Galante followed the operation from the IDF command and control center in Tel Aviv.
The strike took place in several waves and lasted three hours. Just after 06:30 (03:00 GMT), the Israel Defense Forces said the attack had ended.
The White House described the attack as a “self-defense exercise.” A senior administration official said the United States has worked with Israel to encourage a “targeted and proportionate” response.
How big was the attack?
It’s unclear the extent of the attack and the damage caused.
The Israel Defense Forces says this Hit about 20 targets, Includes missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missiles and other military sites.
The Iranian military confirmed that four soldiers died, two of them “while fighting shells.”
Iranian authorities said locations in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces were hit. The country’s air defense agency said it had “successfully intercepted” the attack, but “the damage suffered in some areas was limited.”
BBC verify has discovered damage to a defense ministry base in the east and an air defense base in the south of Tehran.
A senior U.S. government official said the attack did not damage Iran’s oil infrastructure or nuclear facilities, which were targeted by President Joe Biden. Urging Israel not to attack.
Syrian state media also reported attacks on military sites in central and southern Syria, but Israel has not confirmed attacks in the country.
Why did Israel attack Iran?
Iran is a major backer of a range of groups in the Middle East hostile to Israel, often called proxy groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, which are currently at war with Israel.
In April, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel, using about 300 missiles and drones in retaliation for Israeli air strikes. Iranian embassy compound under attack In Syria, several senior commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed.
In response, Israel carried out a “limited” strike on Iran’s missile defense system in the Isfahan area, but Iran chose not to respond.
Then, in July, Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in Beirut. The next day, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran. Iran accused Israel, but Israel made no comment.
Late September, Israel Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah assassinated and Brigadier General Abbas Nilfurushan, a senior Iranian official in Beirut.
On October 1, Iran launched Approximately 180 ballistic missiles This was allegedly in response to the deaths of Haniyeh, Nasrallah and Nilforushan.
This latest attack on Iran is Israel’s response.
What happens next?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied a report by the US media Axios, saying that Israel sent a message to Iran before the attack, revealing certain details of the attack and warning Tehran not to respond.
A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister said: “Israel did not notify Iran before the attack, the time of the attack, the target of the attack and the intensity of the attack.”
Still, early indications are that the attack was not as serious as some feared.
“Our focus is on war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to promote escalation in the broader region,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
A senior US official said that “direct fighting between Israel and Iran should end”.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it had the “right and obligation to defend itself” and called the attack a violation of international law.
But it also said Tehran recognized its “responsibility for regional peace and security”.
What is the situation in Iran?
Pictures released by Iranian state media showed that life remained relatively normal – streets were busy, people exercised in parks and fruit and vegetable markets remained open.
Iran closed its airspace for several hours overnight but later reopened it, and by late afternoon commercial flights were flying across the country.
But there are signs that the Iranian government is keen to downplay the impact of the attack.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it a criminal offense to send “images or news” related to the attacks to media it considers “associated with Israel” or “hostile”.
Iranian media reported today that the Tehran prosecutor’s office had charged an unnamed website with “reporting on issues that violate national security.”
How did the world react to this?
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savitt said Israel’s response “avoided densely populated areas and focused solely on military targets, contrary to Iranian attacks targeting Israel’s most populous cities.”
But he added that Washington aimed to “accelerate diplomacy and reduce tensions in the Middle East.”
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Israel had the right to defend itself but urged all parties to “show restraint” and called on Iran not to respond.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack and warned against any actions that “threaten the security and stability of the region”.
Egypt’s foreign ministry echoed those concerns, saying it was “gravely concerned” about the attack.
Hamas described it as “a blatant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and an escalation against the security of the region and the security of its people”.
Additional reporting by Ghoncheh Habibiazad, BBC Monitoring
