Five things to know about Israel’s attack on Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel delivered its long-expected consequence to Iranian rocket attacks early Saturday by carrying retired a series of airstrikes against nan Islamic Republic.

Here’s what to know:

Multiple targets were struck

Under nan screen of acheronian early Saturday, Israel struck aggregate sites successful different parts of Iran. Explosions were heard successful nan capital, Tehran, which sits heavy wrong nan country.

The Israeli subject said its “precise and targeted strikes” deed rocket aerial defense systems and “aerial capabilities” arsenic good arsenic rocket manufacturing accommodation utilized to nutrient weapons that person been utilized against Israel. Iran insisted nan strikes caused only “limited damage.”

It was not instantly clear really difficult of a rustle Israel dealt, pinch neither state providing elaborate assessments of nan destruction. Iran said nan strikes targeted subject bases successful nan provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran.

Israel appeared assured successful its battering of Iran’s aerial defenses, pinch subject spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari saying that “Israel now has broader aerial state of cognition successful Iran.”

What wasn’t deed besides matters

The strikes did not look to target accommodation that would each but guarantee a harsh Iranian response. Those astir notably see Iran’s lipid infrastructure, nan backbone of nan OPEC member’s economy, and its atomic facilities.

President Biden earlier this period said he would not support an Israeli onslaught connected Iranian atomic sites.

U.S. officials felt they had secured statement from Israel not to deed atomic aliases lipid sites aft dispatching different air-defense rocket artillery and associated troops, though those assurances were not group successful stone.

This onslaught has finished

Israel signaled that nan pre-dawn bombardment was nan extremity of this attack.

“The retaliatory onslaught has been completed, and its objectives person been achieved,” Hagari said early Saturday, still nan Sabbath successful Israel.

Not agelong after, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said commercialized flights would resume aft being halted because of nan airstrikes.

The Israeli attacks aimed to deter early aggression and “show we won’t beryllium silent,” but to do truthful successful a measurement that would minimize nan embarrassment for Iran, said Yoel Guzansky, a interrogator astatine nan Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies.

Outrage and calls for restraint

The White House indicated that it wants nan strikes to extremity nan nonstop exchanges of occurrence betwixt Israel and Iran, and warned Iran against responding.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said location was a “need to debar further location escalation” and called connected each sides to show restraint.

Reactions successful nan region were harsher. Saudi Arabia, Iran’s main Arab rival, condemned nan strike, calling it a threat to location information and “a usurpation of world laws and norms.”

Turkey accused Israel of having “brought our region to nan brink of a greater war” and said, “putting an extremity to nan panic created by Israel successful nan region has go a historical duty.”

Syria and Iraq were among different countries successful nan region condemning nan strikes. So did Hamas, which on pinch different militants attacked Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking immoderate 250 hostages into Gaza.

Israel’s retaliatory violative successful nan Gaza Strip has truthful acold killed much than 42,000 Palestinians, according to section wellness officials, who don’t differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants but opportunity women and children dress up for much than half nan deaths.

Iran’s consequence will beryllium key

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Iran would respond to nan airstrikes, calling them a clear usurpation of world rule arsenic it asserted Tehran’s correct to self-defense.

Israel characterized Saturday’s onslaught arsenic a consequence to erstwhile aerial assaults by Iran utilizing missiles and exploding drones successful April and different missile onslaught this month. Many of those projectiles were changeable down earlier reaching their targets.

Iran could effort different nonstop bombardment, though doing truthful risks provoking yet different nonstop Israeli onslaught connected its territory astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile its defenses are weakened.

It could besides promote allied militant groups specified arsenic Hamas successful Gaza and Hezbollah successful Lebanon to intensify their attacks, though some person suffered superior blows successful their ongoing wars pinch Israel.

“Iran will play down nan effect of nan strikes, which are successful truth rather serious,” predicted Sanam Vakil, nan head of nan Middle East and North Africa programme astatine nan London-based deliberation vessel Chatham House.

She said Iran is “boxed successful by their ain subject limitations, economical constraints from sanctions and by nan U.S. predetermination outcome,” which could impact nan people of further escalation aliases negotiated outreach.