Iran on Saturday suggested that it will not retaliate to Israeli strikes if a deal is reached for a ceasefire agreement in the embattled Gaza Strip and Lebanon. In a carefully worded statement issued on Saturday night, the Iranian military, while asserting that the Islamic nation had the right to retaliate against Israel, suggested that a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon would trump any possible retaliatory strike.
As per the Iranian military’s statement, Israel used “stand-off” missiles over Iraqi airspace to launch its attacks and the warheads were much lighter in order to travel the distance to the targets they struck in three provinces in Iran.
The statement, which suggests that Tehran might be trying to find a way to avoid further escalation after Israel’s attack early Saturday, said Iranian military radar sites had been damaged in the strikes, but some already were under repair.
In its first open strike against Iran, Israel launched ‘precision strikes’ on Iranian military targets with pre-dawn airstrikes Saturday, in retaliation for the barrage of missile strikes the Islamic Republic had fired on the Jewish nation earlier this month. This is the first time Israeli military has openly attacked Iran.
Following airstrikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry, in a strongly-worded statement, said Iran had a right to self-defense, and “considers itself entitled and obligated to defend against foreign acts of aggression”, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that Iran has “no limits” in defending its interests, suggesting a possible retaliation and escalation in the ongoing shadow war between the two counties.
However, later in the day, Iran’s military issued, what appeared to be a softened response, suggesting that Tehran may not retaliate if Israel seizes its ground operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Israeli military said it targeted facilities that Iran used to make the missiles fired at Israel as well as surface-to-air missile sites. There was no immediate indication that oil or nuclear sites were hit, which would have marked a much more serious escalation.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said four people were killed, all with the country’s military air defense. It did not say where they were stationed. Iran’s military said the strikes targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces, without elaborating. The Islamic Republic said the attacks caused “limited damage.”
(With inputs from the Associated Press)