For about 3 hours and 30 minutes early Saturday local time, Israel engaged in three waves of airstrikes on military targets in Iran for what the Israel Defense Forces said was “months of continuous attacks” from Iran and its regional allies.
The strikes came weeks after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in retaliation for its assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Saturday’s strikes, which Iran said killed four soldiers, hit military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam, according to Iran’s National Air Defense Headquarters. The IDF said its “mission was fulfilled.”
There have been no reports of Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields being hit, targets that the U.S. had previously urged Israel to refrain from striking.
Iran downplayed the mission as mostly a miss. The National Air Defense Headquarters, in a statement shared by a state broadcaster, concluded the mission was “successfully intercepted” and resulted in only “limited damage.”
After the strikes, a senior Biden administration official said, “This should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran.”
While the U.S. was made aware of the strikes ahead of time, it was not involved in the action, U.S. defense officials say.
Iran’s potential response to what Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the Royal United Services Institute, called the largest direct attack on Iran’s territory since the 1980s, remained unknown.
After the assault, Iran’s foreign ministry said Iran “asserts its entitlement and obligation to defend against external aggression,” but that it was committed to upholding its “responsibilities for regional peace and stability.” Iran previously stated it does not want a wider regional war.
The Biden administration has been working to limit the scope of Israel’s hostilities with regional powers, including opposing militant groups, proxies of Iran such as Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and Iran itself, with its estimated 600,000 troops and an arsenal of ballistic missiles, in hopes of thwarting a larger regional war.
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President Biden has been receiving briefings on the Middle East after Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran and says he hopes this is the end of the direct fire between the two. NBC News’ Allie Raffa reports.
Iranian vice president says Iran will respond ‘at the right time and under suitable conditions’
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref condemned Israel's attack, stating that any aggressor must “await a response” proportional to their actions, to be delivered at a suitable time, according to Iran's state news agency.
He made the remarks following separate meetings with Hamas and Hezbollah representatives in Tehran, where he visited the offices of the resistance movements to pay respects to recently assassinated Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar, both killed by Israel in recent weeks.
Iran claims 'right to self-defense' after Israeli strikes, as U.S. pushes to stop hostilities
Three waves of pre-dawn strikes on military targets in Iran today completed Israel’s retaliation on Iran, the Israel Defense Forces said, in what U.S. officials and others hoped would be the last shot in a hostile exchange between the two regional powers that has had the world on edge for weeks, fearing a dangerous expansion of the war.
In a briefing following the attacks, a senior official of the Biden administration told reporters that “This should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran.”
The official said this is the “very strong view” of the U.S. and “it’s been communicated to our partners throughout the region.”
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the attack in a statement today, asserting Iran’s “inherent right to self-defense,” but added that the country will uphold its “responsibilities for regional peace and stability,” making no mention of imminent retaliation.
Harris supports Israel's self-defense while calling for de-escalation
Vice President Kamala Harris, after speaking with the President Biden and national security team, reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s self-defense while emphasizing the need for regional de-escalation.
During a press gaggle today in Michigan, a crucial swing state with a significant Arab American population, she highlighted ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to end the war, release hostages, and work toward a two-state solution. Harris stated there is broad regional consensus, including from the U.S., on the importance of reducing conflict rather than escalating it.
What’s next after Israel’s retaliation strike against Iran?
Israeli airstrikes on Iran may signal the end of direct confrontations between the two nations, potentially shifting the conflict back to a proxy war involving groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. The escalation highlights regional complexities, with airstrikes demonstrating Israeli defense capabilities while U.S. involvement seeks to maintain stability and prevent further escalation.
Four soldiers killed in Israeli strikes on Iran, state news agency says
The death toll among Iranian soldiers increased to four, according Iran's state news agency IRNA.
Major Sajjad Mansouri and Sergeant Mehdi Naqavi succumbed to their injuries this afternoon, IRNA reported.
Iran's military said earlier that two soldiers had been killed in the strikes.
Arab nations condemn Israel attack on Iran
Arab nations in the Middle condemned Israel's strike on Iran in a series of statements released this morning.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia called the attack a “flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty,” while Iraq accused Israel of continuing its “aggressive policies.”
Jordan, one of the U.S.’ closest allies in the region, called the strikes a “dangerous escalation” that “threatens the stability of the region.”
Bahrain and Lebanon condemned the airstrikes in separate statements today.
IDF releases photos of what they say are Israeli Air Force planes departing for strikes in Iran
Iran faces dilemma over response to Israel attack, says analyst
Iran's leadership face a dilemma over whether or not to retaliate against Israel's overnight strike and risk further escalation, says Danny Citrinowicz, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies.
The Israeli strikes appeared to be a limited attack aimed at deterrence, demonstrating military strength while avoiding a major escalation. While Iran has condemned the attack, it has made no mention of imminent retaliation, despite previous warnings of "harsher reactions" if Israel were to act against Tehran.
“A regional war is contradictive to anything that Iran is trying to achieve," Citrinowicz told NBC News. “Publicly speaking, Iran need to find excuses not to retaliate, because they obligated themselves before to respond to any Israel attack”
Citrinowicz added that there will be discussions behind closed doors about what steps to take, and he did not believe it would be easy to find consensus.
"I think that there will be discussions and people will argue from both sides, because the dilemma is there," he said. "Israel has offered a ladder for Iran to climb down the tree, but I’m not sure they will take it."
Former chief of staff at the CIA and Pentagon Jeremy Bash joins TODAY to discuss the potential long-term impacts of Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran.