Iran’s National Air Defense Headquarters has announced the successful interception of attacks on military sites in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces in the early hours of Saturday. While acknowledging “limited damage” to certain locations, the headquarters asserted that the attacks were successfully repelled. The full extent of the damage is currently under investigation. The announcement comes after Israel revealed early Saturday morning that it was carrying out strikes against Iranian military sites. Israel said Saturday it conducted air strikes against Iran on Saturday that hit military bases and missile sites in retaliation for the Iranian attacks, warning it would “pay a heavy price” if it responds. The Israeli military claimed its strikes hit Iran’s missile manufacturing facilities, missile arrays and other systems in several regions.

Iran confirmed an Israeli attack had targeted military sites in capital Tehran and other parts of the country, but said it had caused “limited damage”. Israel had vowed to hit back at Iran for its October 1 missile strike, the second-ever direct attack by the Islamic republic on arch-foe. The rapid escalation of violence has heightened fears across the region and beyond of a wider war, pitting Israel against Iran and the allies, the “axis of resistance” on multiple fronts. “Based on intelligence, IAF (air force) aircraft struck missile manufacturing facilities used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at Israel,” Israel’s military said in a statement. “Simultaneously, the IDF (military) struck surface-to-air missile arrays and additional Iranian aerial capabilities,” the army said, adding that the “retaliatory strike has been completed and the mission was fulfilled”.

Since the deadliest attack in its history on October 7, 2023, Israel launched its war on Gaza, and since late last month, it has been at war in Lebanon. Iran on Saturday suspended all flights until further notice, the aviation authority announced. Iran in April launched its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory in retaliation for a deadly strike on Iran’s consular annex in Damascus. Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza killed 1,206 people, according to an tally of official Israeli figures. Israel’s war campaign in Gaza killed 42,847 people, majority of them civilians, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable. Israel has since broadened the scope of its war to Lebanon, claiming to secure its northern border after nearly a year of exchange of attacks with Hezbollah group.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan