THE Israeli army has carried out strikes on military targets in Iran in response to what it said were months of attacks by “Iran and its proxies” in the region.
Also, Iran’s military confirmed that Israeli strikes targeted military bases in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran, and had caused “limited damage”.
Israel had vowed to hit back at Iran following its October 1 missile attack, with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant saying the response would be “deadly, precise and surprising”.
Israel has been fighting Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza since the deadliest attack in its history on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
It has since broadened the scope of its operations to Lebanon, vowing to secure its northern border after nearly a year of attacks launched by Iran-backed Hezbollah in support of Hamas.
“Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilised,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Military spokesman Daniel Hagari in a separate statement urged people to be “alert and vigilant”.
Iran’s October 1 strike, its second direct attack on Israel, came after an Israeli air raid killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guards general Abbas Nilforoushan in Lebanon on September 27.
It also followed the killing of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, on July 31 in Tehran in an attack widely blamed on Israel.
The rapid escalation of violence has raised fears across the region of a wider war, pitting Israel against Iran and the allies it dubs the “axis of resistance”.
Iranian state television said Saturday “strong explosions” were heard around the capital, though it did not specify the cause of the blasts.
“Minutes ago, the sound of strong explosions were heard from around Tehran, the source of these sounds is not yet clear,” a state TV presenter said.
It later said “six loud blasts” were heard in areas of Tehran.
An AFP reporter also heard the explosions.