Israel’s first open attack on Iran targets missile sites and apparently spares oil and nuclear sites

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel attacked military targets in Iran before dawn on Saturday with airstrikes in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired into Israel earlier this month. It was the first time that the Israeli army openly attacked Iran.

The Israeli military said its planes targeted facilities Iran used to fire the missiles at Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile sites.

Crucially, there was no indication that Iran’s oil or nuclear sites had been hit. Iran insisted the attacks caused only “limited damage,” and Iranian state media played it down. Taken together, the moves suggested, at least for now, that both countries are trying to avoid a more serious escalation.

Still, the attacks threaten to push the archenemies closer to all-out war at a time of rising violence in the Middle East, where militant groups backed by Iran – including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – are already at war with Israel.

Following the airstrikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it “considers itself entitled and obliged to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has “no limits” in defending its interests.

But late Saturday, the Iranian military issued a carefully worded statement suggesting that a ceasefire in Israel’s ground offensives in Gaza and Lebanon would trump any possible retaliatory strike.

Four people were killed, all by military air defense, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. The Iranian military said the attacks targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces. But the powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which oversees Iran’s vast arsenal of ballistic missiles, remained silent, raising questions about whether anything had been hit at its bases.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that Israel had given him a warning ahead of the strikes, saying it appeared “they had only hit military targets.” His government received assurances from Israel in mid-October that it would not hit nuclear and oil facilities. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s nuclear facilities were not affected.

“I hope this is the end,” Biden said.

Israel’s first open attack on Iran

Iran has not faced a sustained barrage from a foreign enemy since the war with Iraq in the 1980s. Explosions could be heard in Tehran until dawn.

It is also widely believed that Israel was behind a limited airstrike in April near a major air base in Iran that hit the radar system of a Russian-made air defense battery. Iran had earlier fired a wave of missiles and drones at Israel, causing minimal damage, after two Iranian generals were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic post in Syria.

On October 1, Iran launched at least 180 missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s devastating blows against Hezbollah. They caused minimal damage and some injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “has made a big mistake.”

“If the regime in Iran should make the mistake of starting a new round of escalation, we will be obliged to respond,” Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Footage released by the Israeli military shows members preparing to depart for the strikes in American-made F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.

The Iranian military statement describes Israeli warplanes firing lightweight missiles at a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Iranian border. The missiles hit air defense radar stations, the military said, some of which were already under repair.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused the US of complicity in the attack and claimed the US controls Iraqi airspace.

Israel’s attack did not take out any highly visible or symbolic facilities that could prompt a significant response from Iran, said Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at the Tel Aviv Institute for National Security Studies who previously worked for Israel’s National Security Council.

It also gives Israel room for escalation if necessary, and targeting air defense systems weakens Iran’s ability to defend against future attacks, he said, adding that if Iranian retaliation occurs, it must be limited.

“By targeting military sites and missile facilities over nuclear and energy infrastructure, Israel is also sending the message that it is not seeking further escalation for the time being,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham. House.

After the strikes, the streets in the Iranian capital were calm, with schools and shops open. There were long lines at gas stations – a common occurrence when military violence flares up. But some residents seemed concerned and avoided talking to an Associated Press reporter.

Mixed reactions at home and abroad

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the decision to avoid “strategic and economic goals,” saying on X that “we could and should have demanded a much higher price from Iran.”

The United States warned of further retaliation, and Britain and Germany said Iran should not respond. “All acts of escalation are reprehensible and must stop,” said the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General.

Saudi Arabia was among several countries in the region to condemn the strike, calling it a violation of Iranian sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms. Hezbollah and Hamas condemned Israel’s attack.

Regional tensions have increased dramatically.

Dozens of people were killed and thousands injured in Lebanon in September when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in attacks blamed on Israel. A massive Israeli airstrike outside Beirut the following week killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon. More than a million Lebanese have been displaced and the death toll has risen sharply as a result of airstrikes in and around Beirut.

Hezbollah on Saturday warned 25 communities in northern Israel to evacuate, calling them “legitimate military targets” as Israel attacked the militant group from there.

Enemies for decades

Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel views Iran as its biggest threat, citing its leaders’ calls for Israel’s destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups and the country’s nuclear program.

During their years of shadow war, a suspected Israeli assassination campaign has killed Iranian nuclear scientists, and Iranian nuclear facilities have been hacked or sabotaged. Meanwhile, Iran has been blamed for attacks on shipping in the Middle East.

The shadow war has increasingly come to light since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other militants attacked Israel. They killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 hostages to Gaza. In response, Israel launched a devastating air and ground offensive against Hamas. About a hundred remain, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in largely destroyed Gaza, according to local health officials. They make no distinction between civilians and fighters, but say more than half were women and children.

“Those who were not killed by the bombings are dying of hunger. This is life,” said Madallah Abu Zaid, a woman displaced from northern Gaza.

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Schreck from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Abby Sewell in Beirut; Lolita C. Baldor, Farnoush Amiri and Zeke Miller in Washington; David rises in Bangkok; and Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.