Israel carried out what it described as “precise and targeted” airstrikes on Iran in retaliation for missile barrage launched by Tehran against Israel earlier this month.

It is the latest in a series of exchanges between the two countries that for months have fueled fears of an all-out regional war.

But while Iran says Saturday’s attacks on military sites killed four soldiers, early indications suggest the attacks were more limited than feared.

Here’s what we know.

How did the attacks unfold?

Around 02:15 local time (22:45 GMT Friday), Iranian media reported explosions in and around the capital, Tehran.

Video uploaded to social media and verified by the BBC showed projectiles in the sky above the city, while residents in some areas reported hearing loud explosions.

Shortly after, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it was carrying out “precision” strikes on “military targets” in Iran.

The attacks involved dozens of aircraft, including jets and drones. Targets included Iran’s air defenses as well as missile and drone production and launch facilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant watched the operation from the IDF command and control center in Tel Aviv.

The strikes came in several waves over a period of three hours. Just after 06:30 (03:00 GMT), the IDF declared that the strikes had ended.

The White House described the strikes as a “self-defense exercise.” A senior administration official said the US was working with Israel to encourage a “targeted and proportionate” response.

What was the extent of the attacks?

The extent of the attacks – and the damage caused – remains unclear at this stage.

The IDF said it hit about 20 targets, including rocket production facilities, surface-to-air missiles and other military sites.

The Iranian military confirmed that four soldiers died, two “while fighting projectiles”.

Iranian authorities said sites in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces were targeted. The country’s air defense said it had “successfully intercepted” the attacks, but that “some areas suffered limited damage”.

BBC Verify identified damage at a defense ministry base east of Tehran and an air defense base in the south.

A senior US administration official said the strikes did not damage Iran’s oil infrastructure or nuclear facilities, targets of President Joe Biden. urged Israel not to strike.

Syrian state media also reported strikes on military sites in central and southern Syria, although Israel did not confirm the strike in the country.

Why did Israel attack Iran?

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. strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria, which killed several top commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (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.

At the end of September, Israel to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior Iranian official, in Beirut.

On October 1, Iran launched about 180 ballistic missiles in Israel, which he said was in response to the deaths of Haniyeh, Nasrallah and Nilforoushan.

This latest attack on Iran is Israel’s response to that.

What happens next?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied a report by US publication Axios that before the attacks, Israel sent a message to Iran revealing certain details of the attacks and warning Tehran not to respond.

“Israel did not inform Iran before the attack – neither about the timing, nor about the targets, nor about the strength of the attack,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.

However, early signs indicate that this attack was not as serious as some feared.

The IDF said in a statement that “we are focusing on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for broader regional escalation.”

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”.

What is the situation in Iran?

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 commercial flights were in the air across the country by late afternoon.

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.”

How did the world respond?

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

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