Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on targets across Iran early Saturday, delivering on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to retaliate for a missile barrage three weeks ago and fanning fear of open conflict between the two longtime adversaries.
Numerous explosions were reported around Tehran in what appeared to be a first wave of strikes. More than an hour later, Israel’s Channel 12 reported more strikes in the city of Shiraz and said dozens of fighter jets were involved. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
A person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing Israel’s operation, said its forces struck missile production facilities and air defense systems. That suggested that Netanyahu held off strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure as US President Joe Biden had urged.
The early morning strikes fulfilled Netanyahu’s promise to hit back after Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1. The Islamic Republic said that attack was a reprisal after days of military and intelligence operations that killed Hezbollah militia members in Lebanon, which is Tehran’s most important proxy group and is deemed a terrorist organization by the US.
Iran “reserves the right to respond to any form of aggression,” the official Tasnim news agency said. Civilian flights in Iran were canceled until further notice.
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