Iran’s Response to Israel

On Saturday, Iran launched missile attacks on Israel. This was a direct response to Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the previous day.

Key Events

• Israel targeted several Iranian nuclear facilities.
• The goal was to hinder Tehran’s nuclear program.
• Israel carried out additional strikes, including on a nuclear plant in Isfahan.

Effects on Israel

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel during the Iranian missile attacks. Explosions were reported in Jerusalem. Significant damage occurred, including the destruction of a high-rise building in central Tel Aviv and an apartment block in nearby Ramat Gan city.

• At least three people lost their lives.
• 80 people were injured in these attacks.

Effects on Iran

Explosions were also heard in Tehran, including one at Mehrabad airport. The exact number of casualties in Iran remains unclear.

Leaders’ Reactions

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke to the nation. He assured that Iran’s military is prepared to counterattack.

Khamenei stated, “Don’t think that they [Israel] hit and it’s over. No. They started the war. We will not let them escape safely from this great crime.”

This statement followed his vow to respond to the Israeli attack the previous day.

Previous Israeli Actions

The Israeli Defense Forces targeted sites in Tehran, Kermanshah, and Tabriz on Friday. Among these was Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz.

• At least 78 people were killed.
• 320 people were injured in these strikes.

Notable casualties included Iranian military chief Mohammad Bagheri and Hossein Salami, the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Official Statements

Israel asserted that Iran was “closer than ever to obtaining” a nuclear weapon. Israel claimed it had “no choice but to fulfill the obligation to act in defense of its citizens.”

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.