Tensions in the Middle East have reached new heights today as Israel launches air strikes on Iranian targets in response to missile attacks believed to have been fired from Iran nearly a month ago. According to the IDF, the operation began early Saturday as Israel’s “right and duty” to protect its citizens and national security. In preparation for the intensification of the conflict, the Israeli government has geared up its defense and offensive forces.
According to reports from Iranian state media, explosions happened in western regions near Tehran. Damage and casualties are currently unconfirmed. People close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claim military bases on Tehran’s western and southwestern side have been hit.
The state media in Syria reported that Israeli air attacks targeted military positions in central and southern Syria, showing a robust campaign by Israel to neutralize perceived threats across the region.
A photograph distributed by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office shows Netanyahu in the operations center watching closely as events unfolded. Iranian media has downplayed the effects of the attack, though information from official Iranian channels has been largely limited to date and could come forward gradually over the coming days.
A Pentagon briefing indicated that the United States knew of the plans in advance by Israel but denied the involvement of the United States in this operation. Washington remains cautious and not to draw a wider war that might destabilize this region more.
The semi-official Iranian Tasnim News Agency seemed to intimate that Iran would “respond proportionally” to Israel’s strikes. Yet whether this will translate into a broader conflict still hangs in the balance, since both sides assess their next steps in this precarious situation.
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