Israel retaliates against Iran by bombing missile manufacturing facilities. | WPN World People News

According to various foreign media reports, Israel launched three waves of attacks against Iran early on the morning of the 26th (Saturday) in retaliation for Iran's ballistic missile strike on Israel earlier this month. The targets of the attacks were primarily military facilities, excluding energy infrastructure or nuclear power plants.

It is reported that four Iranian military personnel were killed in the strikes. Iran later stated that it has the "right" to defend itself but generally downplayed the incident, claiming that the damage to military sites was limited. Senior U.S. officials indicated that President Biden had previously urged Israel to exercise restraint in its retaliatory attacks against Iran to prevent escalating conflict between the two sides.

Israel named the operation "Operation Days of Repentance." Reports indicate that the first wave of attacks primarily targeted Iran's air defense systems, while the second and third waves focused on missile and drone bases as well as munitions production facilities. The Israeli Air Force reportedly gathered over Syria before flying into Iraqi airspace to launch air-to-ground missiles.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli officials contacted Iran before the attacks to clarify which targets would and would not be struck. Experts believe Israel's relatively low-key response post-strike aimed to allow Iran the opportunity to downplay the incident and avoid further escalation, while also demonstrating that Israel's intelligence and military capabilities could penetrate deep into Iranian territory. Iran also seemed to take the opportunity to downplay the Israeli attacks, with state media showing calm streets in the capital Tehran, free-flowing traffic, and people going about their daily business, asserting that the attack resulted in minimal damage.

Although Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian stated that Iran "will respond decisively and appropriately to any act that infringes on its territory at the right time," he also urged the international community to take effective measures to prevent further escalation in the region. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday in response to Iran's request.