Israel said on Saturday that it had carried out strikes on Iranian territory, in retaliation for Iran’s October 1 missile attack on its soil and attacks by movements supported by Tehran targeting Israel for a year. 20 Minutes takes stock of this new turning point in the war between Israel and Iran in the Middle East.
Why does this attack mark a turning point in the conflict between Israel and Iran?
For the first time, Israel publicly announced that it had attacked Iran by launching pre-dawn strikes against the country’s missile manufacturing facilities and surface-to-air missile batteries and other air systems. In return, Iran confirmed an attack by the Jewish state against military sites in the capital and in two other provinces bordering Iraq.
What really happened?
The first detonations rang out around 2:15 a.m. (local time) mainly west of Tehran, according to the official Irna news agency. After a series of six detonations reported overnight by state television, other explosions accompanied by light trails in the sky were heard and seen from the center of Tehran by AFP journalists.
The first six explosions are “linked to the activation of the air defense system against the operation of the Zionist regime which attacked three sites on the outskirts of Tehran”, indicated state television, in reference to Israel that the Republic Islamic does not recognize.
What damage was caused by the attack?
The Israeli attack caused “limited damage”, according to Iran, which announced shortly after that two Iranian soldiers had been killed. Iranian civil aviation announced in the morning the gradual resumption of flights in its airspace after a brief suspension overnight. Shortly after Iran, neighboring Iraq also announced that it would suspend air traffic in its area. Neither fire nor explosion was reported at Tehran’s main refinery, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said.
Why is Israel talking about retaliation?
The Israeli strikes were carried out in retaliation for two Iranian attacks. During the last and most important one, on October 1, Iran fired some 200 missiles into Israeli territory, including and for the first time hypersonic missiles. In response, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised a “deadly, precise and surprising” response to the Iranian attack on October 1.
American President Joe Biden called on his ally in early October to spare Iranian oil sites, while Republican candidate Donald Trump suggested targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. Tehran had warned against any attack targeting its “infrastructure”.
