Israel strikes Iran military targets, blasts reported around Tehran

JERUSALEM — Israel hit back at Iran early on Oct 26, with its military saying it was conducting strikes against military targets in response to Tehran's attacks on Israel.

The Middle East has been on edge in anticipation of Israeli retaliation for a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on Oct 1, in which around 200 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, Iran's second direct attack on Israel in six months.

Those strikes came after Israel killed the top leadership of Iranian ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah militants joined the fight against Israel in support of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group based in Gaza, also aligned with Iran, that attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

"In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel — right now the Israel Defence Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran," the Israel Defence Forces said in a statement.

Israel says it has the right and duty to respond to attacks from Tehran and its proxies, which have included missile strikes launched from Iranian soil.

"Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilised," it added.

The scope of the attack was not immediately clear, but an Israeli public broadcaster said dozens of fighter jets were striking military targets.

Targets did not include energy infrastructure or nuclear facilities, NBC News and ABC News reported, citing an Israeli official.

US President Joe Biden had warned that Washington, Israel's main backer and supplier of arms, would not support a strike on Tehran's nuclear sites and has said Israel should consider alternatives to attacking Iran's oil fields.

The semi-official Iranian Fars news agency said several military bases in the west and southwest of Tehran had been targeted by Israel.

Iranian state media reported that strong explosions were heard around Tehran and nearby Karaj, but played down the attack in initial reports, saying life continued as normal.

The Tasnim News Agency said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases that were attacked were not damaged.

State TV showed footage of Tehran's Imam Khomeini international airport with arriving passengers getting off their flights.

Israel also targeted some military sites in Syria's central and southern parts with airstrikes early on Oct 26, Syrian state news agency Sana reported.

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Syrian air defence forces intercepted missiles launched by Israel "from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the Lebanese territories" and shot down some of them, Sana added.

Israel has not confirmed striking Syria.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly warned Israel against launching an attack, saying any strike on Iran would be met with a stronger retaliation.

Israel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant were closely following the operation at the military's command and control centre in Tel Aviv.

The US was notified by Israel ahead of its strikes on targets in Iran but was not involved in the operation, a US official told Reuters.

"We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defence and in response to Iran's ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st," said White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett.

Fears that Iran and the US would be drawn into a regional war have risen with Israel's intensifying assault on Hezbollah since last month, including airstrikes on Beirut and a ground operation, as well as its year-old conflict in the Gaza Strip.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Oct 23 that Israel's retaliation should not lead to greater escalation.

Israel's defence minister said this week that enemies would "pay a heavy price" for trying to harm Israel.

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