Iranian missile factories, surface-to-air missile sites, air defense systems – these were the targets of Operation Days of Reversal for the Israeli attackers. What is the leadership in Tehran doing now?
Israel carries out the expected retaliatory strike against Iran. This is known.
What happened?
The Israeli military published a post on The US had called on Israel, its most important ally, not to attack nuclear facilities or oil fields in Iran.
The Israeli attack is called the “Days of Repentance” and begins during the Jewish day of rest, Shabbat, from Friday to Saturday evening. The high Jewish holidays ended on Thursday evening.
After three waves of attacks and about five hours later, military spokesman Daniel Hagari declared: | “Our aircraft have returned home safely. The retaliatory strike has been completed and the mission has been accomplished.”
What were the Israeli goals?
According to Hagari, the night attacks targeted Iranian missile factories. Rockets that were fired at Israel last year were completed in the facilities. The attack also targeted Iranian surface-to-air missile sites.
“The Israeli Defense Forces have a range of offensive capabilities, some of which were used today in attacks on strategic facilities deep within Iranian territory,” Hagari said.
According to the military, warplanes attacked the facilities in Iran, around 1,500 kilometers away. According to Israeli media, hundreds of fighter jets and missiles were involved. Around 20 targets in Iran were bombed.
What is known about damage from Iran?
Iranian media initially reported limited damage to military bases. As the Tasnim news agency reported, air defenses were activated in the capital Tehran and the provinces of Khuzestan and Ilam, among others.
State media reported explosions in the area of the capital Tehran, where 15 to 20 million people live. Explosions were also heard in the city center early in the morning and anti-aircraft fire could be seen.
According to the military, two soldiers were killed in the attack. They were killed in defense, Tasnim reported, citing a statement from the army. Tasnim is considered the mouthpiece of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite armed forces.
How will Iran react now?
It is still unclear whether and how the leadership in Tehran will react. Does it draw a line between attack and counterattack and leave it at that or does it escalate?
The military is ready for another counterattack. “There is no doubt that Israel will receive an appropriate response to any action,” Tasnim quoted a source from the state power as saying. In the past few days it had emphasized that it wanted to react decisively to an Israeli attack.
Iran could fire up to 1,000 ballistic missiles at Israel, expanding attacks by allied militias in the region and disrupting shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Israel and the USA warned Iran against further escalation.
Was the ally USA involved?
According to US media, American forces in the region were not involved in the attack. Israel informed its most important ally in advance. It is not known how far in advance the US knew the attack was imminent. The question of whether Israel had passed on the intended targets was also unclear.
The USA pledges its support to Israel. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Joav Galant that the US had increased its military forces to protect US personnel, Israel and partners in the region. The United States, as Israel’s most important ally, is determined to “prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict in the region.” The USA previously also stationed a battery of the THAAD missile defense system in Israel. The USA had already relocated one of the system’s batteries to the region last year.
What is the history of the attack?
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1st. The attack came after a series of targeted killings by Israel targeting key players in Iran’s network of non-state allies such as the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and the Islamist Hamas.
Israel then announced retaliation: “Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
