Israel's military conducts retaliatory airstrikes against Iran

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Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel are seen in the West Bank city of Nablus Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. / AP

The Israeli military launched early Saturday what it called “precision strikes” on Iran in response to the Oct. 1 missile attack that Iran launched against Israel.

In a statement, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said: “In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran.“

Israel's attack ended just before sunrise in Tehran, with the Israeli military saying it had "fulfilled its mission" by conducting what it called "targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran."

No casualties in Iran were immediately reported, and the Iranian government said there was minimal damage.

On October 1, Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were shot down by Israeli air defenses with the help of US forces.

That attack was in response to a series of Israeli attacks against Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike and then sending troops across the border into southern Lebanon. Israel has also pounded Lebanon with airstrikes which it says are aimed at dismantling Hezbollah, but which have killed thousands of people.

Iran had previously launched a wave of missiles at Israel in April, the first time the Islamic regime had directly attacked Israel after decades of using proxies to stage attacks. Israel and Hezbollah had been in a low grade war of cross-border fire since October 8, the day after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel. Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas.

A senior U.S. administration official told reporters on a late-night conference call that the United States was not a participant in the military operation, and said that the operation was "targeted and proportional with low risk of civilian harm." President Biden and U.S. officials had encouraged Israel to pursue a targeted response. "That appears to have been precisely what transpired this evening," the official said.

The official declined comment on the targets that were hit, other than to say they were chosen to deter future attacks from Iran. "It was extensive. It was targeted. It was precise. It was against military targets across Iran. It was, in multiple ways, very carefully prepared. And again, I think it was designed to be effective," the official said.

If Iran responds, the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against an attack, the official said, noting officials had worked to strengthen Israel's air defense systems ahead of Friday.

"The United States is ready to push forward on talks to end the wars in Lebanon and Gaza," the official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in the region last week, and there will be "further engagements" and meetings in coming days, the official said.

The White House told reporters that Biden had been briefed by his team and closely followed developments through the evening. Vice President Harris, campaigning in Houston, was also briefed, the White House said.

Asma Khalid contributed to this report