Israel Launches Retaliatory Strikes in Iran

Israel Launches Retaliatory Strikes in Iran

David Zimmermann for National Review October 25, 2024 8:14 PM

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 28, 2023.(Abir Sultan/Pool via Reuters)none

Israel launched strikes against Iran early Saturday morning local time in response to the Islamic Republic’s missile barrage on October 1, according to initial reports.

At least five explosions were heard near Tehran and several military sites were struck, Iranian state media reported. Military sites in central and southern Syria have also been hit simultaneously, according to Syrian state media. Iranian leaders have not officially commented on the situation, but Israel confirmed the assault.

“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,” the IDF confirmed in a statement.

The scope of the strikes against Iran remains unclear. However, an anonymous Israeli official told NBC News that the Jewish state is striking military targets instead of Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields, which the Biden administration has warned against targeting.

“We’re targeting things that might have threatened us in the past or could do in the future,” the official reportedly said.

Israeli officials have said they would respond to Iran’s attack, in which 180 to 200 ballistic missiles were launched toward Israel earlier this month in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and other terrorist leaders. U.S. officials considered Iran’s military action unsuccessful, considering it did not inflict major damage on Israel.

The White House was reportedly given advance notice of Israel’s reprisal shortly before it was carried out. As the news broke, a National Security Council spokesman said the Israeli air strikes are “an exercise of self-defense.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, over the phone after Israel initiated the air strikes. No details were provided about the conversation.

In the weeks before the attack, the U.S. mobilized military forces in the region to deter Iran from responding with force and help Israel defend itself from another Iranian missile barrage should one occur. The deployment included a THAAD missile-defense system in Israel, meaning U.S. soldiers could intervene in the fighting between the two Middle Eastern nations on Israeli soil if necessary.

Last week, a pro-Iranian Telegram account leaked U.S. intelligence documents of Israel’s plans to strike Iran. Described by Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) as “very concerning,” the leak came as Israel was finishing preparations for its targeted air strikes. The FBI has since opened an investigation into the leak, considered to be a serious breach of U.S. intelligence.