Israel attacks Iran as blasts heard across Tehran, Damascus

Five explosions were reported heard across Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj early on Saturday morning, according to Iranian media, in what is alleged to be the beginning of an Israeli retaliatory attack on Iran.

Israeli officials confirmed to Army Radio that Israel had started striking targets across Iran.

Israel sent a message to Iran on Friday before its retaliatory airstrikes, warning the Iranians not to respond, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The Israeli message aimed to limit the ongoing exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran and prevent wider escalation, sources said.

US and Israeli officials reported that three waves of airstrikes took place on Saturday morning local time, later named Operation Days of Repentance.

The first wave targeted Iran’s air defense system, while the second and third focused on missile and drone bases and weapons production sites. Iran claimed it thwarted the Israeli attack, with only “limited damage” reported to military targets. Israeli officials stated the strikes were in retaliation for Iran’s ballistic missile attack on October 1.

The Israeli message was conveyed to the Iranians through several third parties, sources added. “The Israelis made it clear to the Iranians what they were going to target and what they were not,” one source said. Two additional sources said Israel warned Iran not to respond, stressing that further retaliation from Iran would trigger a larger Israeli response, especially if Israeli civilians were harmed.

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment. Iran has stated it does not seek a full-scale war with Israel but would retaliate if attacked.

On Saturday, IDF spokesperson Rear-Adm. Daniel Hagari warned that any escalation from Iran would compel Israel to respond. A US official stated that the US did not participate in the Israeli operation but emphasized that if Iran retaliates, the US is prepared to defend Israel. “This should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran,” the official said. “If Iran attacks Israel again, there will be consequences. We communicated that directly and indirectly to Iran.”

No further escalation?

One channel used to convey the message to Iran was Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldcamp, who wrote on X, “I spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister about war and rising tensions in the region. I urged restraint from all parties to prevent escalation.”

US officials expect Iran to respond to the Israeli attack in the coming days, though in a controlled way that could allow Israel to avoid further conflict. “It is our goal to accelerate diplomacy and reduce tensions in the Middle East,” said National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett. “We urge Iran to halt its attacks on Israel to end this cycle of conflict without further escalation.”

In an unprecedented and historic operation, the Israeli Air Force targeted key military sites in Iran. This escalation marks a pivotal moment, with Iran’s response now determining the course of events. Although Iran’s leadership has publicly vowed to retaliate, significant concerns remain about the risks of a larger regional conflict.

After a prolonged period of restraint, the Israeli Air Force launched a historic assault on Iranian soil from Friday night into Saturday morning.

The IDF has named its operation of strikes against Iran, conducted in multiple waves on Friday night and early Saturday morning, Operation Days of Repentance. Here's why Israel chose such a cryptic name.

The phrase “Days of Repentance” refers to the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in Judaism, known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this period, people are called to reflect on their actions, make amends, and return to a path of integrity, leading to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Hebrew term teshuva, meaning “return,” encapsulates this idea of spiritual renewal and self-improvement.

In Jewish tradition, these days are seen as an opportunity when the “gates of heaven” are open, allowing individuals to seek forgiveness and align themselves with higher values. By naming the operation after this time, Israel underscores the importance of accountability and a commitment to national protection.

In the wake of intensified Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, Iran, Syria, and Iraq have closed their airspace to all flights. The unprecedented move, aimed at safeguarding airspace during the escalation, affects civilian, commercial, and non-operational military flights until Saturday morning. Iran has extended the airspace closure indefinitely, though it was previously reported that the airspace would open at 9:00 a.m. 

The Israeli strikes, which targeted strategic military sites across Iran, prompted swift reactions on Iranian social media, where users voiced concerns over further Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) actions. Images circulated on social networks showed passengers disembarking from flights halted at Iranian airports, illustrating the operation’s impact on regional air travel and significant financial losses for airlines.

The IDF announced early on Saturday morning that it had completed its reactive operation against Iran.

The IDF said that the strikes were conducted in response to the continuous attacks on the State of Israel and its citizens.

The IDF confirmed the operation was over and that all mission goals had been achieved, with all planes returning safely home.

The IAF struck missile manufacturing sites that produced the missiles Iran fired at Israel over the last year.

Simultaneously, the IDF struck surface-to-air missile arrays intended to restrict Israel's aerial freedom of operation in Iran. 

"The State of Israel reserves the right to defend its citizens if the Iranian regime continues attacks against the State of Israel and its civilians," the IDF said.

Israel struck several targets across Syria and Iraq as part of its wide-reaching response to Iran on Saturday.

In Syria, Israel struck military targets across the center and south of the country, Syrian media confirmed.

There were early reports of explosions outside Damascus, which the Syrian Military said was a result of Syrian air defense interceptions.

Air defenses were reportedly activated near Kermanshah in western Iran on Saturday morning, according to N12.

Kermanshah area contains an Iranian air force base and has been the origin point of many of the UAVs and drones launched against Israel. Warehouses in the area have been attacked before.

Israel has intensified airstrikes against key Iranian military infrastructure, focusing on missile and drone manufacturing facilities, ballistic missile launchers, and essential air defense components, according to JPS.

The strikes aim to significantly weaken Iran’s capability for aerial and missile-based attacks, with additional high-priority targets actively engaged as the operation progresses.

As dawn broke over Tehran today, it wasn't the usual hum of a busy city greeting the morning. Instead, the reverberations of precision strikes echoed across Iran’s strategic landscape. You could almost picture the startled faces behind closed doors in Iran’s power centers, scrambling to understand how Israel managed to pull off an operation so audacious, so brazen, and yet so meticulously calculated.

For over three hours, Israel has been striking with unprecedented precision, unmasking a simple truth: Tehran, for all its bluster, isn’t untouchable. You can almost feel the tectonic plates shifting under Iran’s feet as the “regional power” finds itself reeling, looking a lot less like the force it projects to the world and a lot more like Hezbollah, scrambling to avoid the light.

Imagine the dilemma for Iran’s leadership – retaliate and risk a spiral that might burn everything it’s built, or stay silent and let Israel’s quiet triumph ring louder. Either way, Iran is backed into a corner of its own making. A response would almost certainly turn Tel Aviv into a potential target, but after tonight, Iran knows that Israel can just as easily reach Tehran. This isn’t a vague threat; it’s a promise that’s landed, with clarity and force, right on their doorstep.

Israel changed the game

Israel has done more than just attack military installations here. It has rewritten the rules of the game, showing that it has both the nerve and the know-how to reach where it needs to, to disrupt what it must. This isn’t just an exercise in military might – it’s a statement. Israel has stripped Iran of some of its military edge in a single night, leaving the so-called “regional power” scrambling for control over its narrative, like a magician left with empty hands in front of a disappointed audience.

What we’re witnessing isn’t just military strategy but also a glimpse of a new regional dynamic. Israel has drawn a line that will be felt in power corridors well beyond Tehran. It’s a lesson in calculated defiance, one that sends a message to Iran and its proxies: Israel is ready to protect its own, to reach into even the most fortified of regions if it means safeguarding its people. The reverberations of tonight’s strike won’t fade quickly – they mark a turning point, a shift that might just reshape the balance of power for years to come.