Israeli and US officials say Tel Aviv targeted military sites in Tehran
by Kyle Anzalone
Israel launched air strikes on the Iranian capital Friday night.
While the extent of the damage is unclear, the US is expecting Iran to
retaliate.
Iranian media reported that some sites in the capital city of Tehran
were targeted. A statement from the Israel Defense Forces confirmed the
strikes. “In response to months of continuous attacks … The Israel
Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in
Iran,” it said.
From Middle East Spectator Telegram channel
According to Axios,
the US expects Iran will retaliate. “US and Israeli officials believe
Iran will respond militarily,” the outlet reported, adding, “but hope it
will be limited and allow the two adversaries to break the tit-for-tat
cycle.”
However, the White House is concerned that Iran’s response to Israel will lead to a regional war. An official speaking with the Wall Street Journal
confirmed that Tel Avi did inform Washington it was preparing to strike
Tehran but did not specify how far in advance Israel warned the US of
its plans.
The US claimed Israel’s attack on Iran was an act of self-defense.
“We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against
military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response
to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st.”
National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett continued, “We would
refer you to the Israeli government for more information on their
operation.”
Last week, top-secret US intelligence documents provided some details of Israel’s preparations to strike Iran.
Over the past year, the Middle East has moved closer to an all-out
regional war as Israel has attacked several neighboring countries,
conducted assassinations throughout the region, and slaughtered
Palestinians.
On October 1, Iran attacked military sites in Israel with nearly 200
missiles in response to Tel Aviv killing Hamas’s political leader in
Tehran and assassinating Hezbollah’s leader in Beirut. Tel Aviv has been
vowing retaliation for the Iranian attack throughout the month. Tehran
has said it will respond to any Israeli attack.
Just before Israel attacked Iran on Friday, the US moved fighter jets from Europe to the Middle East.
In the leadup to the Israeli strike on Iran, Tel Aviv requested the
deployment of an American THAAD air defense system. The White House
granted the request, and now 100 American soldiers are manning the system in Israel, making them a potential target for any Iranian response.
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