Israel has warned Tehran against responding after residents in the city woke up to explosions.
Israel’s direct strike on Iran marks ‘a new phase’
Israel has attacked Iran, killing four Iranian soldiers. It also launched simultaneous strikes on Iraq and Syria, ostensibly targeting Iran-linked interests.
Israel says the campaign early on Saturday targeted military sites and was a response to attacks from “Iran and its proxies”.
Iran says it will continue defending against Israeli attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, and Iranian officials.
This is the first time Israel openly claimed an attack on Iran.
Here’s what to know about the latest strikes and what to expect next.
Iran’s air defence headquarters said military bases in Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan were hit but attacks were “successfully countered … though minor damages were caused in some areas, and the extent of the incident is currently under investigation”.
Israel says it hit 20 military sites that were used to carry out attacks against it.
Iranian officials contested the number, downplaying the effect of the campaign.
The main focus of Saturday’s attacks was Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Serdar said, adding that they “primarily aimed at Iran’s air defence systems, missile bases, and drone facilities”.
Israel had been warning of an attack “in response to strikes by Iran and its proxies”.
In a recorded statement released during the attack, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7.”
He said Israel “has the right and the duty to respond”.
Earlier in October, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the assassinations of top IRGC, Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Although some people slept through the attacks, the explosions that started at 2am woke thousands of people up in fear.
Videos and posts circulated online as people tried to figure out what was happening.
“Not that it was unexpected, but it was stressful anyway,” 32-year-old Ali from western Tehran told Al Jazeera.
Everyone was out and about as usual on Saturday morning, which is the first day of the work week in Iran.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it considers the attacks “a blatant violation” of international law and the UN Charter.
It added that Iran was “entitled and obligated to defend itself against external aggressive acts”.
“Iran emphasizes the use of all capabilities of the Iranian people to safeguard its security and vital interests.
“Furthermore, it affirms its responsibilities toward regional peace and security, while reminding all countries in the region of their individual and collective duties to protect regional peace and stability,” the statement said.
Analysts say the potentially limited damage of Saturday’s strike gives Iran “plausible deniability” and the room to not strike back, according to Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman.
Some unnamed Israeli officials have told Israeli media that this was intended, to allow the situation to be contained going forward, said Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom reporting from Amman.
Military and political analyst Elijah Magnier says the killing of two Iranian officers will push Iran to retaliate.
While Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said it reserves the right to respond, the timing and nature of a potential attack remains unclear.
Israel has warned that should Iran retaliate, it will be “obligated to respond” again and has “additional targets” it could strike.