Israel-Iran latest: Tehran warns it is ‘obligated’ to defend itself in wake of Israeli revenge strikes
Two soldiers have been killed in Israeli strikes on Iran as Hamas says attack is an ‘escalation’
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Iran has said it is “obligated and entitled to defend itself” after Israeli revenge strikes hit military sites on Saturday.
The attack, which Israel described as “precise and targeted”, further escalates the conflict between the two adversaries and risks a wider war in the Middle East.
Multiple countries have condemned the “dangerous” escalation and called for “regional peace and stability”. The Israeli strikes were in response to a barrage of missiles launched by Iran in early October. A Biden official has said that the latest strikes from Israel “should be the end” of the tit-for-tat conflict between the two countries.
The attack began shortly after 2am local time as Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and surrounding areas.
Iran’s air defences reportedly intercepted many of the Israeli drones and missiles over the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam, and Tehran said the attack caused only “limited damage”.
Hamas has said that the strikes are a “flagrant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation that threatens the security of the region.”
EgyptAir cancels flights to Baghdad and Erbil
Egyptian national carrier EgyptAir said on Saturday it had cancelled flights to Iraq’s capital Baghdad and northern city of Erbil, citing regional developments, after Israeli airstrikes on military targets in neighbouring Iran.
What has Hamas said about the latest Israeli strikes?
Palestinian militant group Hamas has reacted to Israel’s strikes on Iran.
In a statement on social media app Telegram, Hamas said: “The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) strongly condemns the Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, targeting military sites in multiple provinces. We consider this a flagrant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation that threatens the security of the region and the safety of its people, placing full responsibility on the occupation for the consequences of this aggression, supported by the United States of America.”
Israel said that the pre-dawn airstrikes were in response to the barrage of ballistic missiles that Iran fired earlier this month.
There was no immediate indication that oil or missile sites were hit - strikes that would have marked a much more serious escalation.
Qatar and Egypt condemn escalation and urge restraint
Qatar’s foreign ministry has condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and urged restraint and dialogue to avoid regional instability.
Egypt has also expressed grave concern over the Israeli attacks and condemned all measures that threaten regional security and stability.
Watch: Starmer urges Iran not to respond to Israeli airstrikes
Iran says it is ‘entitled and obligated’ to defend itself
Iran’s foreign ministry have issued a statement after Israeli strikes targeted military production sites in Iran.
The ministry has said that it is “entitled and obligated to defend itself against external aggressive acts”.
Calling the Israeli attack a violation of international law, the ministry said in a statement that Tehran “recognises its responsibilities towards regional peace and security”.
Media outlet Iran International reported the statement as saying: “The Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasizing the use of all material and spiritual capabilities of the Iranian people to defend its security and vital interests, also acknowledges its regional peace and security responsibilities. It highlights the individual and collective responsibility of all countries in the region to safeguard peace and stability.”
Iran should not respond to Israeli strikes – Sir Keir Starmer
UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged Tehran not to retaliate after Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting military sites in Iran overnight.
The government said it was monitoring the unfolding situation in the Middle East “closely” after the strikes early on Saturday.
The attacks did not target nuclear or oil facilities, two Israeli officials confirmed to the Associated Press. Iranian state media have said that two soldiers have been killed as a result of the Israeli strikes.
Read more here:
Iran should not respond to Israeli strikes – Starmer
The Government said it is monitoring the unfolding situation in the Middle East ‘closely’.
Reactions to Israel’s strike against Iran
Countries around the world have been reacting to the latest escalation in the conflict between Iran and Israel.
A senior US government official has said Israel’s strikes appear to have been a targeted and proportional response to Tehran’s earlier attacks.
The Biden official said this should be the end of direct exchange of fire between the two countries.
“Should Iran choose to respond we are fully prepared to defend Israel and support Israel and there will be consequences should Iran make that unfortunate decision,” said the official. “But as far as we’re concerned, this direct exchange, this should be the end of it.”
The Kingdom of Saudia Arabia has expressed “its condemnation and denuciation of the military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a violation of its sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms.”
The Kingdom also urged “all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and reduce escalation”.
Pakistan have also strongly condemned the Israeli strikes. They said the strikes “undermine path to regional peace and stability and also constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region.”
Palestinian militant group Hamas has also issued a statement on social media app Telegram, saying that the strikes are a “flagrant violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation that threatens the security of the region”.
The United Arab Emirates has also expressed “deep concern over the continued escalation and its impact on regional security and stability”.
Two soldiers killed by Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian news agency reports
Two soldiers were killed in Saturday morning’s Israeli airstrikes on Iran, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
“The army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in defending Iran’s security and protecting the people and Iran’s interests, sacrificed two of its fighters while countering projectiles from the criminal Zionist regime,” the statement said.
Israel’s strike ‘designed to contain the situation'
Israel’s strike on Iran was designed with the intention of minimizing casualities and keeping the impact to a level that would allow Iran to deny major damage and contain the situation, sources have told The Washington Post.
The official, who was briefed on Israel’s plans, told the paper that the strikes were a larger-scale version of the response Israel launched in April.
The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities that Iran used to make missiles fired at Israel as well as surface-to-air missile sites.
There has been no immediate indication that oil or missile sites were hit - locations that would have marked a much more serious escalation.
Iran should not respond to Israeli attack, says Keir Starmer
Speaking at a press conference in Samoa, the British prime minister said: “I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression and I am equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint.
“Iran should not respond,” said Keir Starmer.
“We will continue to work with allies to de-escalate the situation across the region.”
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