TEL AVIV — Israel struck military targets in Iran with a series of pre-dawn airstrikes on Saturday in retaliation for the Islamic Republic’s barrage of ballistic missiles on Israel earlier this month.

The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities Iran used to produce the missiles fired at Israel, as well as surface-to-air missile sites.

There was no immediate indication that oil or missile sites had been hit — strikes that would have marked a much more serious escalation — and Israel offered no immediate assessment of the damage.

Explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, although the Islamic Republic insisted they caused only “limited damage” and Iranian state media downplayed the attacks. Iran’s military said two of its troops were killed in the attack, Iranian Al-Alam television reported.

Still, the strikes risk pushing the two nations closer to war at a time of spiraling violence in the Middle East, where Iran-backed terror groups – including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon – are already at war with Israel.

Following the airstrikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it has the right to self-defense and “considers itself justified and obliged to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression.”

Israel’s first open attack on Iran
“Iran attacked Israel twice, including in locations that endangered civilians, and paid the price for it,” said Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

“We are focused on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for broader regional escalation.”

Photos and videos released by Israel showed Prime Minister Netanyahu, wearing a casual black jacket, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meeting with military advisers and others in a conference room at a military command center and control from the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv. .

Strikes filled the air for hours until sunrise in Iran. They marked the first time the Israeli military had openly attacked Iran, which had not faced a sustained bombardment from a foreign enemy since the 1980s war with Iraq.

Israel is also believed to have been behind a limited airstrike in April near a major Iranian air base in which the radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery was hit.

Saturday’s attack came as part of Israel’s “duty” to respond to attacks on it by “Iran and its proxies in the region,” Admiral Hagari said.

“The Israel Defense Forces have accomplished their mission,” Admiral Hagari said. “If the regime in Iran makes the mistake of starting a new round of escalation, we will be forced to respond.”

Israel’s attack effectively sent a message to Iran that it will not remain silent without removing highly visible or symbolic installations that could provoke a significant response from Iran, said a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Yoel Guzansky, who formerly worked for Israel’s National Security Council.

At the same time, it gives Israel room for further escalation if necessary, and targeting air defense systems weakens Iran’s capabilities to defend against future attacks, he said, adding that if there are Iranian retaliations, they are expected to be limited.

“There is more chance of Iranian restraint because of their interests, because of outside pressure and because of the nature of the Israeli attack … which allows them to save face,” he said.

Mixed reactions at home and abroad
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the decision to avoid “strategic and economic targets” in the attack.

“We could and should have demanded a much higher price from Iran,” Mr. Lapid wrote on X.

American warned against further retaliation, indicating the overnight strikes should end direct fire between Israel and Iran, and British Prime Minister Starmer said “Iran should not retaliate”.

“We must avoid further regional escalation and urge all parties to exercise restraint,” he said while attending a summit in Samoa.

Saudi Arabia was one of several countries in the region to condemn the attack, calling it a violation of “Iran’s sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms.”

The kingdom’s foreign ministry said it rejected the escalation in the region and the “expansion of conflict that threatens the security and stability of countries and people in the region.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s move to quickly downplay the attack could provide a way to not respond, avoiding further escalation.