Israeli airstrikes hit targets in Iran

Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike site near Iranian capital Tehran. PIC/X

Israel attacked Iran with a series of pre-dawn airstrikes Saturday in what it said was a response to the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier in the month. The strikes filled the air for hours until sunrise in Iran. They marked the first time Israel's military has openly attacked Iran, which hasn't faced a sustained barrage of fire from a foreign enemy since its 1980s war with Iraq.

The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities that Iran used to make missiles fired at Israel as well as surface-to-air missile sites. However, there was no immediate indication that oil or missile sites were hit - strikes that would have marked a much more serious escalation - and Israel offered no immediate damage assessment.

Explosions could be heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, though the Islamic Republic insisted they caused only "limited damage" and Iranian state-run media allegedly downplayed the attacks. Still, the strikes risk pushing the archenemies closer to all-out war at a time of spiralling violence across the Middle East, where militant groups backed by Iran - including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon - are already at war with Israel.

"Iran attacked Israel twice, including in locations that endangered civilians, and has paid the price for it," said Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. "We are focused on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for a wider regional escalation," he said. The US warned against further retaliation, indicating that the overnight strikes should end the direct exchange of fire between the Israel and Iran. Nuclear facilities and oil installations were all seen as possible targets for Israel's response to Iran's October 1 attack.

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