By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Israel hit Iran with a series of airstrikes early Saturday, saying it targeted military sites in retaliation for barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired at Israel earlier in the month.

Explosions could be heard in Iran’s capital Tehran, although the Islamic Republic insisted they caused only “limited damage”.

The attack risks pushing the arch-enemies closer to an all-out war in a time of spiraling violence in the Middle Eastwhere militant groups supported by Iran — including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon — is already at war with Israel.

Saturday was the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran, which has not faced a sustained barrage of fire from a foreign enemy since its 1980s war with Iraq.

Israel’s hours-long attack ended shortly before sunrise in Tehran, and the Israeli military said it targeted “missile manufacturing facilities used to manufacture the missiles Iran fired at the State of Israel over the past year.” It also said it hit surface-to-air missiles and “additional Iranian air capabilities.”

Israel did not offer an initial damage assessment.

Initially, all nuclear and oil facilities had been seen as possible targets for Israel’s response to Iran’s October 1 attack, but by mid-October the Biden administration won insurance from Israel that it would not hit such targets, which would be a more serious escalation.

“The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have relentlessly attacked Israel since October 7, … including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a pre-recorded video statement early Saturday. “Like any other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and duty to respond.”

Iran’s military said the attacks targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces and caused “limited damage”, without elaborating.

The US warned of further retaliation, suggesting the overnight attacks should end the direct fire between Israel and Iran.

Israel’s military said explosions have been heard over northern Israel following its activity in southern Lebanon, but there is “no indication of a security incident.”

Iran downplays Israel’s attack

Iran’s state media acknowledged explosions that could be heard in Tehran, saying some of the sounds came from air defense systems around the city.

But beyond a brief reference, Iranian state television for hours offered no other details and even began showing what it described as live footage of men loading trucks at a Tehran vegetable market in an apparent attempt to play down the assault.

A resident of Tehran told The Associated Press that at least seven explosions could be heard in the first wave of attacks, which shook the surrounding area. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

As explosions rang out, people in Tehran could see what appeared to be tracer fire lighting up the sky. Other images showed what appeared to be surface-to-air missiles being fired.

Iran closed its airspace early Saturday, and flight tracking data analyzed by the AP showed that commercial airlines had largely left the skies over Iran and over Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Iran’s move to quickly downplay the attack could offer an avenue for the country not to respond, risking further escalation.

“The Israeli Defense Forces have completed their mission,” Hagari said in a later video. “Should the regime in Iran make the mistake of starting another round of escalation, we will be obliged to respond.”

Israel’s attack was a response to Iranian attacks

Iran launched a wave of missiles and drones in Israel in April after two Iranian generals were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria on an Iranian diplomatic post. Missiles and drones caused minimal damageand Israel – under pressure from Western countries to show restraint – responded with a limited strike that it did not openly claim.

Iran fired at least 180 missiles into Israel on the evening of October 1, sending Israelis scrambling for shelters but causing only minimal damage and a few injuries. Iran said the blockade was revenge for the attacks in recent months which killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately said Iran had “made a big mistake”.

Before Iran’s attack in October, Israel had landed a series of devastating blow against Hezbollah, which has fired rockets at Israel almost daily for over a year – ever since the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Dozens were killed and thousands injured in September when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded during two days of attacks attributed to Israel. A massive Israeli airstrike the following week outside Beirut killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallahand several of his top commanders.

Israel then increased the pressure on Hezbollah by launching a ground invasion in southern Lebanon. More than a million Lebanese have been displacedand the death toll has risen sharply as airstrikes hit in and around Beirut.

Israel has said it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for Israeli citizens driven from their homes near the Lebanese border to return. Hezbollah has vowed to continue firing rockets at Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

The US warns of reprisals

The White House indicated that Israel’s attacks on Iran should end the direct exchange of fire between the two enemy countries, while warning Tehran of “consequences” if it responded.

A senior White House official said the administration believed the Israeli operation should “shut down” direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran, and said other allies agreed.

US President Joe Biden was updated throughout Israel’s operation, the official said, while stressing that the US had no involvement in the attack.

The official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said the Israeli operation “was extensive, it was targeted, it was precise.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, about Israel’s attacks on military targets in Iran, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said late Friday.

Austin reiterated that the United States was committed to the security of its allies and that Israel has the right to defend itself, although Washington was determined to prevent the conflict from expanding, the Pentagon’s press secretary said in a statement.

Israel’s strike is the latest in the Middle East wars

When Hamas and others Militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023they killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages to Gaza. In response, Israel launched a devastating air and ground offensive against Hamas, and Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until all the hostages are released. About 100 remain and about a third are believed to be dead.

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say more than half of the dead are women and children.

Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Israel considers Iran its greatest threat, citing its leaders’ calls for Israel’s destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups, and the country’s nuclear power program.

During their years-long shadow war, a suspected Israeli assassination campaign has killed top Iranian nuclear scientists and Iranian nuclear facilities have been hacked or sabotaged, all in mysterious attacks blamed on Israel.

Meanwhile, Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks on shipping in the Middle East in recent years, which later grew into attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping through the Red Sea corridor.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, the shadow war has increasingly moved into the light.

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Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Abby Sewell in Beirut; and Lolita C. Baldor, Farnoush Amiri and Zeke Miller in Washington; and Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.

Originally published: 24 October 2024 at 22.31