Iran is the main backer of a range of Middle Eastern groups – often described as proxy groups – that are hostile to Israel, including Hamas and Hezbollah, with whom Israel is currently at war.

In April, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel, with about 300 missiles and drones, in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria that killed several high-ranking commanders in the Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran (IRGC).

Israel responded with a “limited” strike on a missile defense system in the Iranian region of Isfahan, which Iran chose not to respond to.

Later in July, Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in an air strike on Beirut. The following day, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an explosion in Tehran. Iran blamed Israel, although Israel did not comment.

On October 1, Iran fired 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which it said was in response to the deaths of Haniyeh, Nasrallah and Nilforoushan.

Early signs indicate that this attack was not as serious as some had feared.

US outlet Axios reported that before the attacks, Israel sent a message to Iran revealing certain details about the attacks and warning Tehran not to respond.

This could be a sign that Israel does not want to escalate the situation further – at least for now.

“We are focused on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to press for wider regional escalation,” the IDF said in a statement.

A senior US official said “this should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran”.

Iran’s foreign ministry said it was “justified and obliged to defend itself” and described the attack as a violation of international law.

But he also said that Tehran recognizes its “responsibilities towards regional peace and security”.

Pictures published by Iranian state media show life continuing in relative normalcy – with busy streets, people exercising in parks and fruit and vegetable markets open as usual.

Iran closed its airspace for several hours overnight, but later reopened and there are more commercial flights in the air across the country.

But there are signs that the Iranian government is keen to minimize the impact of the attacks.

The IRGC announced that it is a crime to send “images or news” related to the attack to institutions it deems “affiliated with Israel” or “hostile”. Iran usually refers to the Western media as hostile.

Iranian media reported today that the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against an unnamed website for “covering matters contrary to national security.”

US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said Israel’s response “avoided populated areas and focused exclusively on military targets, unlike Iran’s attack on Israel, which targeted Israel’s most populous city.” .

But Washington’s goal, he added, is “to speed up diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region.”

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Israel had the right to defend itself, but urged all sides to “show restraint” and called on Iran not to respond.

Saudi Arabia condemned the attack and warned against any action that “threatens the security and stability” of the region.

Egypt’s foreign ministry echoed those concerns, saying it was “gravely concerned” by the attacks.

Hamas described them as “a flagrant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation aimed at the security of the region and the safety of its peoples.”

Additional reporting by Ghoncheh Habibiazad, BBC Monitoring