On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, rockets fired by Iran toward Israel are spotted in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Majdi Mohammed/AP

Hide caption

Toggle label

Majdi Mohammed/AP

The Israeli military launched so-called “precision strikes” against Iran early Saturday in response to the missile attack Iran launched against Israel on October 1.

In a statement, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “In response to the Iranian regime’s months-long sustained attacks on the State of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces are currently conducting precision strikes on military targets in Iran.”

The Israeli attack ended shortly before sunrise in Tehran. The Israeli military said it had “accomplished its mission” by carrying out “targeted and precise attacks on military targets in Iran.”

No casualties were initially reported in Iran and the Iranian government said damage was minimal.

On October 1, Iran fired around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were shot down by Israeli air defenses with the help of US forces.

This attack was in response to a series of Israeli strikes against Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike and then sending troops across the border into southern Lebanon. Israel has also bombed Lebanon with airstrikes ostensibly aimed at dismantling Hezbollah, but which have killed thousands of people.

Iran had already fired a wave of missiles at Israel in April, the first time the Islamic regime had directly attacked Israel after decades of using proxies to carry out attacks. Israel and Hezbollah have been in a low-grade cross-border war since October 8, 2023, a day after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel. Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas.

A senior U.S. government official told reporters in a late-night conference call that the United States was not involved in the military operation, saying the operation was “targeted and proportionate and there is a low risk of civilian harm.” President Biden and US officials had encouraged Israel to respond in a targeted manner. “That appears to be exactly what happened tonight,” the officer said.

The official declined to comment on the targets hit, except to say they were chosen to deter future attacks from Iran. “It was extensive. It was targeted. It was precise. It targeted military targets across Iran. It was prepared very carefully in many ways. And I think, again, it was designed to be effective,” the official said.

Should Iran respond, the United States stands ready to help Israel deter an attack, the official said, noting that officials had already been working to strengthen Israel’s air defense systems before Friday.

“The United States stands ready to advance talks to end the wars in Lebanon and Gaza,” the official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in the region last week and there will be “further appointments” and meetings in the coming days, the official said.

The White House told reporters that Biden had been briefed by his team and was closely following developments throughout the evening. Vice President Harris, who is campaigning in Houston, was also informed, the White House said.

Asma Khalid contributed to this report