DUBAI, Oct 26: Early Saturday, Israel conducted a series of airstrikes against Iran, claiming it targeted key military sites in response to a recent missile barrage fired by Iran earlier this month. Explosions echoed through Tehran, with Iranian authorities acknowledging “limited damage.” The strikes mark the first direct, sustained Israeli assault on Iranian soil since the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and risk escalating hostilities in a region already engulfed in conflict.
The Israeli military reported targeting Iranian “missile manufacturing facilities” linked to recent attacks on Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile sites and other aerial capabilities. The hourslong operation concluded just before dawn in Tehran, though Israel has yet to provide an official damage assessment.
In response, Iranian state media confirmed blasts in Tehran, with reports of tracer fire lighting the night sky as air defenses were activated. Iran’s military reported that Israel’s strikes targeted bases in the Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran provinces, causing limited damage. Airspace closures soon followed as commercial flights vacated skies over Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
The White House urged caution, cautioning Iran against retaliatory action and emphasizing that the Israeli operation was conducted independently. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed America’s commitment to Israeli security in a call with his Israeli counterpart, while White House officials reiterated that the U.S. was not involved in the strike. President Joe Biden has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely.
This latest exchange follows an intense period of violence across the Middle East. Israel has been engaged in escalating conflicts with Iran-backed militant groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas, and recently launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon aimed at quelling Hezbollah rocket fire. The shadow war between Israel and Iran, long waged covertly, has increasingly moved into open confrontation, especially since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and triggered Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
As Israel’s strikes concluded, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned that any further escalation from Iran would prompt additional Israeli responses.
