Iran’s military suggests a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon trumps any retaliation against Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel – Iran’s military issued a carefully worded statement Saturday evening suggesting a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon trumps any retaliation against Israel.

While saying it had the right to retaliate, the statement suggested Tehran may be trying to find a way to prevent further escalation after Israel’s attack early Saturday.

The Iranian military added that Israel used so-called “stand-off” missiles over Iraqi airspace to carry out its attacks and that the warheads were much lighter to travel the distance to the targets they had in three provinces in Iran affected.

The statement said that Iranian military radar sites had been damaged, but some were already under repair.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel struck military targets in Iran before dawn Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired into Israel earlier this month. The attacks marked the first time the Israeli military openly attacked Iran.

After the airstrikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it has the right to self-defense and “considers itself the right and duty to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has “no limits” in defending its interests.

The Israeli military said it targeted facilities Iran used to fire the missiles at Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile sites. There was no immediate indication that oil or nuclear sites had been hit, which would have meant a much more serious escalation.

Four people were killed, all by the country’s military air defenses, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. It was not stated where they were stationed. Iran’s military said the attacks targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces, without elaborating. The Islamic Republic said the attacks caused “limited damage.”

The attacks threaten to push the archenemies closer to all-out war at a time of rising violence in the Middle East, where militant groups backed by Iran – including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – are already at war with Israel.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that Israel had given him a warning ahead of the strikes, saying it appeared “they had only hit military targets.” He said he had just completed a phone call with intelligence officials.

“I hope this is the end,” he said.

Iran has not faced a sustained barrage from a foreign enemy since the war with Iraq in the 1980s. Explosions could be heard in Tehran until dawn.

On October 1, Iran launched at least 180 missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s devastating blows against Hezbollah. They caused minimal damage and some injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “has made a big mistake.”

It is also widely believed that Israel was behind a limited airstrike in April near a major air base in Iran that hit the radar system of a Russian-made air defense battery. Iran had fired a wave of missiles and drones into Israel in April, causing minimal damage, after two Iranian generals were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic post in Syria.

“Iran has attacked Israel twice, including in locations that endangered civilians, and has paid the price,” Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said. He added: “If the regime in Iran makes the mistake of starting a new round of escalation, we will be obliged to respond.”

Footage released by the Israeli military shows members preparing to depart for the strikes in American-made F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.

Israel’s attack did not take out any highly visible or symbolic facilities that could prompt a significant response from Iran, said Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at the Tel Aviv Institute for National Security Studies who previously worked for Israel’s National Security Council.

It also gives Israel room for escalation if necessary, and targeting air defense systems weakens Iran’s ability to defend against future attacks, he said, adding that if Iranian retaliation occurs, it must be limited.

Israel has once again shown that its military precision and capabilities are superior to Iran’s, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London-based think tank Chatham House.

“By targeting military sites and missile facilities over nuclear and energy infrastructure, Israel is also sending the message that it is not seeking further escalation for the time being,” Vakil said. “This is a sign that the diplomacy and backchannel efforts to mitigate the attack were successful. .”