Israeli aggression ‘successfully’ repelled
Iran says has ‘right and duty’ to defend itself
Four service members fall in overnight attacks
Iran said its air defense systems successfully intercepted and thwarted Israel’s Saturday attacks on the country, which targeted positions in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces and caused “limited damage” in some locations.
“Despite the previous warnings of the officials of the Islamic Republic to the criminal and illegal Zionist regime to avoid any adventurous action, this fake regime attacked parts of military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam this morning in a tension-causing action,” the air defense force said in a statement on Saturday morning.
Footage broadcast by local media showed air defenses continuously firing at apparently incoming projectiles in central Tehran, without saying which sites were coming under attack.
Two members of the Iran’s Army were killed in the Israel’s pre-dawn aggression which caused loud explosions in Tehran around 2:15 a.m. local time.
Iranian state television said the blasts were caused by the “activation of the air defense system” in response to the Israeli attack.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army offered in sacrifice two of its soldiers last night while confronting the projectiles of the criminal Zionist regime in order to safeguard the security of Iran and prevent harm to the Iranian nation and interests,” the Army said in a statement on Saturday.
Military officers killed
Media reports identified the two martyred Army forces as Major Hamzeh Jahandideh and Sergeant Mohammad-Mehdi Shahrokhifar.
Later in the day, the number of military fatalities rose to four, with Sajad Mansouri and Mehdi Naqavi having been added to the martyred individuals.
The air defense force said the strikes targeted parts of military sites in the capital Tehran as well as the western and southwestern provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan. The attacks caused “limited damage” in some locations and the dimensions of the incident are under investigation, it added.
On Saturday morning, the Iranian public returned to their routines and daily life continued smoothly across the country.
Flights resumed
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization announced that flights had resumed after a short interruption and footage from Mehrabad Airport in western Tehran showed operations running normally, with passengers moving through as usual.
The Tehran Oil Refining Company also dismissed rumors of an Israeli attack on its facilities.
The Israeli army said it conducted what it called “precise strikes on military targets in Iran” on Saturday.
The Israeli military claimed it simultaneously struck missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and other “aerial capabilities”.
It said later that the air attack had “concluded” its response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack, saying its warplanes had returned safely and the mission was “fulfilled”.
Right to defend
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli act of aggression and said Iran has the “right and the duty to defend itself”, citing the UN Charter.
The ministry called the attack a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, especially the principle that prohibits threats or use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries.
The ministry emphasized that Tehran will utilize all material and spiritual capabilities of the Iranian nation to defend its security and vital interests, and firmly stand by its duties towards regional peace and security.
Saturday’s attacks were widely expected as a retaliation to a missile barrage launched by Iran on October 1 in which an estimated 180 ballistic missiles were fired towards Tel Aviv and Israel’s military bases. Tehran said the unprecedented salvo was carried out in response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s leader, in the Iranian capital in July and the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.