In a stunning escalation of the long-simmering shadow war between Israel and Iran, multiple explosions ripped through the night in Tehran early Saturday morning as the Israel Defense Forces launched what it called “precise strikes” on Iranian military targets. The attacks, which the IDF said came in response to “months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran”, mark the most direct and overt Israeli assault on Iran in years.
Residents of Tehran reported hearing at least three powerful blasts followed by the sounds of secondary explosions and fire alarms reverberating across the city in the pre-dawn hours. Unverified video footage posted on social media appeared to show fireballs lighting up the skyline near Mehrabad Airport, with anti-aircraft fire streaking through the night sky.
Iran Suspends Flights, Vows Retaliation
In an unprecedented move highlighting the gravity of the situation, Iranian authorities immediately suspended all flights to and from Tehran until further notice. The country’s air defenses were reportedly on high alert as military forces scrambled to respond.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned what it called a “barbaric attack” by Israel and vowed swift retaliation. In a statement, ministry spokesman Amir-Ali Farajian said Iran reserves the right to respond “at a time and place of its choosing” and warned Israel would “bear full responsibility for the consequences of this outrageous act of aggression.”
Israel Says Strikes “Precise”, More May Follow
In a brief statement confirming it had carried out the airstrikes, the Israel Defense Forces said it had struck a number of “critical military assets” belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), including a secret drone factory, missile depots, and IRGC training facilities.
“The strikes were a precise response to Iran’s mounting belligerence and aggression towards Israel emanating from Iranian soil, including attempted drone and missile attacks,” an IDF spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the IDF was prepared to continue striking Iranian targets “as necessary” to defend Israel’s security but stressed Israel was “not interested in escalation”. However, a senior Israeli defense official speaking on condition of anonymity told journalists that Israel was braced for potential Iranian reprisals and had “a range of response options on the table.”
Shadow War Bursts Into the Open
The strikes represent a dramatic escalation in the long-running clandestine war between Israel and Iran, two sworn enemies that have been engaged in an increasingly aggressive tit-for-tat campaign involving cyberattacks, sabotage operations, assassinations, and proxy conflicts across the Middle East for over a decade.
But while Israel has repeatedly launched air raids against Iran-linked targets in Syria in recent years, it has rarely struck directly inside Iran. The last known Israeli attack inside Iran was a 2020 sabotage operation that caused significant damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, which Iran blamed on Israel.
According to a Middle East defense analyst who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, the fact that Israel felt emboldened to launch overt strikes inside Iran suggests it had “very solid intelligence of an imminent threat” and is clearly signaling a “new boldness to strike Iran at home.” But the analyst cautioned the move carries huge risks.
“What we are seeing is the shadow war bursting out into the open in a very dangerous way,” the analyst said. “The big concern now is that this could spin out of control and ignite a full-blown war between Israel and Iran, with the entire region being dragged in. The next 72 hours will be critical to see if cooler heads prevail.”
World Leaders Urge Restraint
World leaders rushed to respond to the dangerous uptick in tensions, with the UN, US, EU and regional powers all urging restraint on both sides.
- UN Secretary General Neville Carson expressed “grave concern” and urged Israel and Iran to “take immediate steps to de-escalate”
- US Secretary of State Brianna Jacobson said the US was “closely monitoring the deeply concerning situation” and called for “urgent diplomacy”
- NATO Secretary General Henrik Van der Meijs said the alliance was following events with “serious concern” and appealed for calm on all sides
But as night fell over the region on Saturday, it remained to be seen whether the appeals would be heeded or if the Middle East was lurching towards the abyss of a catastrophic new war. With tensions at a breaking point and both Israel and Iran on a hair trigger, the coming hours and days may determine if the region can step back from the brink, or will erupt in a conflict with terrifying consequences for the world.
