In a significant escalation of hostilities, Israeli airstrikes hit key Iranian defense and missile production sites, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday. Netanyahu described the strikes as "precise and powerful," claiming they severely impacted Iran’s defense capabilities and missile production aimed at Israel. The operation, he said, met all strategic objectives.
The strikes targeted locations near Tehran and in the western provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan, marking a rare direct confrontation between Israel and Iran amid intensifying warfare in Gaza and Lebanon. Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, emphasized the strategic significance of the attacks, which he said demonstrated Israel's resolve. “We struck strategic systems in Iran, which carries great importance, and we are prepared for all scenarios,” Halevi noted.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded cautiously, suggesting that Israel’s "calculations should be disrupted" and warning that the strikes "should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated." Iran’s next steps remain unclear, but the Islamic Republic is reportedly assessing potential responses.
The airstrikes follow months of tit-for-tat actions, with this latest assault coming weeks after an Iranian missile barrage on October 1. In Lebanon, Israel's airstrikes continue against Iran-backed Hezbollah forces, with intense fighting in Sidon leading to the deaths of eight people in a residential building.