26th October, 2024
Israel has confirmed conducting “precise strikes on military targets in Iran,” though details on the specific sites and extent of damage remain undisclosed.
The U.S. had previously cautioned Israel against targeting sensitive nuclear and oil sites that could exacerbate the regional conflict.
Israel’s response follows Iran’s launch of nearly 200 ballistic missiles earlier this month. Israel had vowed retaliation but did not specify timing or targets.
Iran’s missile strike was reportedly in response to prior Israeli attacks that killed key leaders: Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, and Iran’s Quds Force operations commander Brig-Gen Abbas Nilforoushan.
While Iranian state media dismissed the Israeli attacks as ineffective—a common official stance, experts note—analysts suggest that could change if reports indicate significant damage or casualties.
Simultaneous blasts were reported in Syria, where Syrian air defenses reportedly intercepted incoming missiles.
Israel has claimed responsibility for those attacks. The Pentagon clarified that the U.S. was not involved in Israel’s operation, though the White House described the strikes as “self-defense.”
President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris have been briefed and are monitoring developments.
Israel’s avoidance of civilian infrastructure in the strikes has reportedly left many Iranians “mostly relieved,” according to Arash Azizi, author of What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom. Azizi, citing sources in Tehran, noted relief that critical infrastructure—such as oil refineries, power, and water facilities—remained untouched.
Saudi Arabia condemned the strikes as a “violation of sovereignty” and urged restraint, calling on the international community to act to de-escalate the situation.
Without naming Israel, Saudi Arabia’s statement, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), urged “maximum restraint” to end the conflict.
