US says was informed of strikes on military targets but not involved; Pakistan says Israel bears “full responsibility”; UAE, Saudi Arabia condemn attack.
AMN
Iran said it was “entitled” to self-defence after an Israeli attack targeted military sites in the Islamic republic on Saturday, causing “limited” damage and killing two soldiers, almost a month after Israel vowed to avenge a missile barrage that raised fears of a full-scale Middle East war.
The Israeli military said its retaliatory air strikes hit Iran’s missile manufacturing facilities, missile installations and other systems in several regions. It warned Iran it would “pay a heavy price” if it responded.
A semi-official Iranian news agency vowed a “proportional reaction” to the Israeli moves against Tehran.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the operation struck approximately 20 targets, including missile manufacturing facilities and surface-to-air missile sites in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces. Iranian authorities reported that while their air defense systems “successfully intercepted” many incoming strikes, some areas sustained limited damage.
Military spokesman Daniel Hagari warned that Israel would be “obligated to respond” to any Iranian retaliation, though the IDF has announced that this specific operation is now complete. The relatively contained nature of the strikes suggests both sides may be seeking to avoid further escalation, despite months of mounting tensions that have raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
Several Middle Eastern nations have condemned Israel’s actions, with Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain expressing opposition to the strikes. Iraq has strongly denounced the operation and declared solidarity with Iran. T
The situation remains volatile, with Israel reporting that the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah fired approximately 80 rockets toward Israeli communities on Saturday.
The official IRNA news agency reported that Iran’s foreign ministry said the country was “entitled and duty-bound to defend itself against the Zionist regime’s acts of aggression”.
It added that the Iranian air defence command said the airstrikes were “intercepted and countered successfully”. “As per the inherent right to legitimate defence, which is enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Iran is duty-bound and entitled to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression,” it further said.
The statement said that Iran categorically condemned the “Zionist regime’s aggressive action” against several military centres in Iran, considering it a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, especially the principle of prohibiting threats or resorting to force against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of countries.