INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Israel stated it struck military sites in Iran early on Saturday in retaliation for Tehran&& s attacks on Israel earlier this month, the
latest attack in the intensifying conflict in between the heavily armed rivals.Iranian media reported several surges over numerous hours in
the capital and at nearby military bases, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, according to Reuters.Before dawn,
Israel&& s public broadcaster stated 3 waves of strikes had actually been finished and that the operation was over.The Middle East has been
on edge awaiting Israel&& s retaliation for a ballistic-missile barrage performed by Iran on Oct
1, in which around 200 missiles were fired at Israel and a single person was killed in the West Bank.Tensions between arch rivals Israel and
Iran have escalated because Hamas, the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group based in Gaza, attacked Israel on Oct
Hamas has been supported by Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants, also backed by Iran.Fears that Iran and the U.S
would be drawn into a local war have risen with Israel&& s intensifying attack on Hezbollah given that last month, including airstrikes on
the Lebanese capital Beirut and a ground operation, as well as its year-old conflict in the Gaza Strip.&& In reaction to months of
continuous attacks from the regime in Iran versus the State of Israel &-- today the Israel Defense Forces is performing precise strikes on
military targets in Iran,& & Israel & s armed force stated in a statement.The armed force said later on that it had actually completed its
& targeted & attacks versus military targets in Iran, adding that its airplanes had securely returned home.Israel has the right and duty
to respond to attacks from Tehran and its proxies, which have consisted of rocket strikes launched from Iranian soil, the military
said.Targets did not include energy infrastructure or nuclear centers, a U.S
President Joe Biden had cautioned that Washington, Israel&& s primary backer and provider of arms, would not support a strike on Tehran&&
s nuclear sites and has said Israel ought to consider alternatives to assaulting Iran&& s oil fields.Iranian authorities have actually
repeatedly cautioned Israel versus any attack.&& Iran reserves the right to react to any aggression, and there is no doubt that Israel will
deal with a proportional response for any action it takes,& & the semi-official Tasnim news firm stated on Saturday, quoting sources.IRAN
PLAYS DOWN STRIKESIranian state TV priced estimate a military spokesman as saying the explosions heard in Tehran were connected && to air
defense systems reacting to efforts by the Zionist routine (Israel) to attack three places outside the city of Tehran.&& Videos carried by
Iranian media showed air defences continually shooting at obviously inbound projectiles in central Tehran, without saying which sites were
coming under attack.The semi-official Iranian Fars news company stated a number of military bases in the west and southwest of Tehran had
actually also been targeted.Tasnim stated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases that were assaulted were not damaged.A spokesperson for
Iran&& s Civil Aviation Organization stated flights on all routes were cancelled until additional notification, state news company IRNA
reported.Neighbouring Iraq also suspended flights in all of its airports till additional notice, its state news firm said.Israel targeted
some military sites in Syria&& s central and southern parts with airstrikes early on Saturday, Syrian state news firm SANA reported
Israel has not verified striking Syria.U.S
EDUCATED AHEAD OF STRIKESIsrael said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other security officials were
carefully following the operation at the military&& s command and control centre in Tel Aviv.Gallant spoke to U.S
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin quickly after Israel&& s reaction started, a U.S
defence official said.The United States was notified by Israel ahead of its strikes on targets in Iran however was not involved in the
official told Reuters.U.S
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the Middle East for another attempt to broker a peace offer, said on Wednesday Israel&& s retaliation
should not cause higher escalation.Even as it looked for to persuade Israel to calibrate its strikes, the United States relocated to
reassure its closest ally in the Middle East that it would help in its defence should Tehran choose to stage a counter-attack
This included Biden&& s choice to move the U.S
military&& s THAAD anti-missile defences to Israel, along with about 100 U.S
soldiers to operate them.The post Israel strikes Iran military targets amidst worries of a wider war first appeared on Ariana News.
