Israel strikes Iran: What we know so far and what’s next

EXPLAINER

Israel has warned Tehran against responding aft residents successful the metropolis woke up to explosions.

Israel has attacked Iran, killing 2 Iranian soldiers. It besides launched simultaneous strikes connected Iraq and Syria, ostensibly targeting Iran-linked interests.

Israel says the run early connected Saturday targeted subject sites and was a effect to attacks from “Iran and its proxies”.

Iran says it volition proceed defending against Israeli attacks connected Gaza, Lebanon, and Iranian officials.

This is the archetypal clip Israel openly claimed an onslaught connected Iran.

Here’s what to cognize astir the latest strikes and what to expect next.

What happened successful Iran and when?

• On Friday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly approved onslaught plans during a telephone with furniture ministers.
• Israeli media said Israel sent a informing to Iran connected Friday, cautioning against retaliation.
• Israel launched its archetypal wave of attacks connected Tehran aft 2am connected Saturday (22:30 GMT connected Friday).
• Three hours later, a 2nd question deed Tehran and the provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reported from Tehran.
• About 6am (02:30 GMT), Israel said it had “completed” the strikes and “achieved its objectives”.
• An Israeli service spokesperson said cognition “Days of Reckoning” had attacked Iran’s “means of producing missiles” arsenic good arsenic rocket systems and other aerial defence capabilities.
• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said 2 of its soldiers had been killed.
• Flights crossed Iran resumed astatine 9am (05:30 GMT) aft being concisely suspended, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization announced.
• A White House authoritative said the US was not progressive successful the strikes, but that President Joe Biden was updated arsenic attacks were developing.
• Israel has stated that each its craft progressive successful the onslaught connected Iran had returned to Israel.
• Israel conducted airstrikes connected subject sites successful cardinal and confederate Syria aboriginal Saturday, reported Syrian authorities quality bureau SANA, though Israel hasn’t confirmed this. Explosions were besides reported successful Basra, Iraq, portion determination was a impermanent closure of Iraqi airspace; officials aboriginal said the blasts happened crossed the borderline successful Iran.

What was deed successful the 3 rounds of strikes?

Iran’s aerial defence office said subject bases successful Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan were deed but attacks were “successfully countered … though insignificant damages were caused successful immoderate areas, and the grade of the incidental is presently nether investigation”.

Israel says it deed 20 subject sites that were utilized to transportation retired attacks against it.

Iranian officials contested the number, downplaying the effect of the campaign.

The main absorption of Saturday’s attacks was Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Serdar said, adding that they “primarily aimed astatine Iran’s aerial defence systems, rocket bases, and drone facilities”.

(Al Jazeera)

Why did Israel accidental it attacked Iran?

Israel had been warning of an onslaught “in effect to strikes by Iran and its proxies”.

In a recorded connection released during the attack, Israeli subject spokesperson Daniel Hagari said: “The authorities successful Iran and its proxies successful the portion person been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7.”

He said Israel “has the close and the work to respond”.

Earlier successful October, Iran launched a barrage of missiles astatine Israel successful effect to Israeli attacks connected Gaza and Lebanon, arsenic good arsenic the assassinations of top IRGC, Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

How did radical successful Iran react?

Although immoderate radical slept done the attacks, the explosions that started astatine 2am woke thousands of radical up successful fear.

Videos and posts circulated online arsenic radical tried to fig retired what was happening.

“Not that it was unexpected, but it was stressful anyway,” 32-year-old Ali from occidental Tehran told Al Jazeera.

Everyone was retired and astir arsenic accustomed connected Saturday morning, which is the archetypal time of the enactment week successful Iran.

A wide presumption of Tehran aft respective explosions were heard successful Tehran [Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters]

How did Iran respond?

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it considers the attacks “a blatant violation” of planetary instrumentality and the UN Charter.

It added that Iran was “entitled and obligated to support itself against outer assertive acts”.

“Iran emphasizes the usage of each capabilities of the Iranian radical to safeguard its information and captious interests.

“Furthermore, it affirms its responsibilities toward determination bid and security, portion reminding each countries successful the portion of their idiosyncratic and corporate duties to support determination bid and stability,” the connection said.

Will Iran retaliate?

Analysts accidental the perchance constricted harm of Saturday’s onslaught gives Iran “plausible deniability” and the country to not onslaught back, according to Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman.

Some unnamed Israeli officials person told Israeli media that this was intended, to let the concern to beryllium contained going forward, said Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom reporting from Amman.

Military and governmental expert Elijah Magnier says the sidesplitting of 2 Iranian officers volition propulsion Iran to retaliate.

While Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said it reserves the close to respond, the timing and quality of a imaginable onslaught remains unclear.

Israel has warned that should Iran retaliate, it volition beryllium “obligated to respond” again and has “additional targets” it could strike.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies