What we know about the Israeli attacks on Iran – Middle East and Africa

This is what we know:

What happened?

The Israeli army said on Saturday it had carried out “precise attacks on military targets in Iran”.

Explosions were heard in Tehran from about 2.15am, AFP journalists in the Iranian capital said.

Iranian state television said the blasts were caused by the “activation of the air defense system” in response to an Israeli attack.

The Israeli military said it had simultaneously hit missile production facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and other “air capabilities.”

It later said the airstrike had “terminated” its response to the October 1 Iranian missile attack, saying the warplanes had returned safely and the mission had been “accomplished”.

Iran’s air force confirmed attacks on military bases in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces that “caused limited damage.”

The military said two soldiers were killed, while the country’s civil aviation authority announced the resumption of flights after a brief suspension.

The State Department said Iran has “the right and obligation to defend itself,” citing the UN Charter.

State media in Syria said Israel also launched airstrikes on its territory from the occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon

Iran and Syria are allies in the so-called ‘axis of resistance’, which also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at an intelligence base in northern Israel and drones at an airbase in the south of the country. The Israeli military said about 80 projectiles were fired.

Why did Israel attack?

The Israeli military said it launched the strikes “in response to months of persistent attacks” from the Islamic republic.

“The regime in Iran and its allies in the region have been ruthlessly attacking Israel since October 7 – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the report said.

Israel had vowed revenge against Tehran for the October 1 rocket attack.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had said Israel’s retaliation would be “lethal, precise and surprising.”

Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killings of Tehran-backed leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, and a general of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

It was Tehran’s second-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, following an attack in April in retaliation for a deadly attack on the Iranian consular building in Damascus.

Israel has been fighting Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group’s attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, also backed by Tehran, has fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas since the Hamas attack that sparked Israel’s massive military assault in Gaza.

Reaction of the world?

The United States and Britain called for “de-escalation” after Israeli attacks on Iran, while Muslim countries blamed Israel for worsening the conflict.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the “targeted attacks on military targets” were “an exercise of self-defense,” and stressed that the United States did not participate.

“Our goal is to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East,” he said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on “all parties to exercise restraint” and Germany warned Tehran against “massive escalatory responses.”

Russia urged both sides to stop the violence. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned of an “explosive escalation”.

Turkey called for an end to what it called “Israeli terror.”

Saudi Arabia condemned Israel and warned against any further expansion of the conflict in the Middle East.

Syria expressed “solidarity” with Iran and said it supported its right to defend itself, while Iraq denounced global inaction against what it called Israel’s “aggressive policies.”

Qatar, a mediator trying to end the Gaza war, expressed “deep concern about the serious consequences that could result from this escalation” by Israel.

Oman, which has long played a mediating role between Iran and Western countries, said Israel’s attack on Iran “fuels the cycle of violence and undermines efforts” to de-escalate.