Israel has launched airstrikes on Iran in a retaliatory attack.
Explosions were reported around Tehran, in the early hours of Saturday, as Israeli jets struck what were described as “military targets” in the country.
Israel hit back at Iran early on Saturday, saying its military was conducting strikes against military targets, as Iranian media reported multiple explosions in the capital Tehran, and at nearby bases.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the country’s military, confirmed that it had begun to launch strikes against Iran.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari, announced the strikes as they were taking place overnight.
In a statement, Hagari says Iran has “paid the price” for its recent attacks on Israel.
He says Israel carried out “precise and targeted strikes on targets in different areas in Iran”. These targets included missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays, and other aerial capabilities, he says.
He says Israel selected these sites from a “broad target bank”, and that it would be able to “select additional targets from it and strike them if required”.
“This is a clear message – those who threaten the State of Israel will pay a heavy price,” he adds.
The Middle East has been on edge in anticipation of Israeli retaliation for a ballistic missile barrage carried out by Iran on Oct. 1, in which around 200 missiles were fired at Israel, Iran’s second direct attack on Israel in six months.
Those strikes, which Iran said targeted Israeli military facilities, came after Israel killed the top leadership of Iranian ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
State TV showed footage of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport with arriving passengers getting off their flights.
Israel also targeted some military sites in Syria’s central and southern parts with airstrikes early on Saturday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
