US warns Iran against ‘mistake’ of retaliation as Tehran warns to defend itself after Israeli strikes

Latest update:Oct 27, 2024 08:24 IST

Early Saturday morning, Israeli forces carried out “precision strikes on military targets in Iran” in response to the latter’s October 1 ballistic missile attack.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin | Image/AP

The United States on Sunday warned Tehran against responding to Israeli strikes on military targets in Iran and highlighted opportunities to reduce tensions in the region.

Early Saturday morning, Israeli forces carried out “precision” strikes on military targets in Iran in response to Tehran’s October 1 missile attack.

“Iran must not make the mistake of responding to Israeli strikes that should end this exchange,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

“I emphasized that the United States is well positioned to protect American forces and facilities throughout the region, and made clear that Iran should not make the mistake of responding to Israeli strikes that should spell the end of this exchange,” Austin added.

The United States reaffirmed its strong commitment to Israel’s security and support for Israel’s right to self-defense.

Iran warns of need to defend itself

Iran warned on Saturday it would defend itself after Israeli airstrikes killed at least four soldiers, further raising fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East.

Israel warned that Iran would “pay a heavy price” if it responded to the strikes, and the United States, Germany and Britain demanded that Tehran not allow further escalation of the conflict.

Iran insisted it had the “right and responsibility” to defend itself, while its Lebanese ally Hezbollah said it had already launched salvos of rockets at five residential areas in northern Israel.

The Israeli army said 80 shells were fired across the border on Saturday.

Hezbollah later issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen named locations in Israel, while the Israeli army issued similar warnings for two neighborhoods in southern Beirut.

Israel strikes Iranian military complex

Commercial satellite imagery showed Israeli airstrikes hit buildings in Saturday’s attack that Iran used to mix solid fuel for ballistic missiles, according to separate assessments by two U.S. researchers.

The solutions came from David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector who heads a research group at the Institute for Science and International Security, and Decker Eveleth, an associate analyst at CNA, a Washington think tank.

They separately told Reuters that Israel had struck Parchin, a huge military complex near Tehran. Israel also struck Khojir, a sprawling missile production facility near Tehran, Eveleth said.

Iran says four soldiers killed

Israeli forces confirmed anti-aircraft fire echoed around Tehran and said it hit Iranian missile factories and military sites in several provinces.

“The retaliatory strike is complete and the mission is accomplished” and the Israeli planes “returned safely,” an army spokesman said.

Iran confirmed that Israel had carried out strikes on military targets around the capital and in other provinces, saying the raids caused “limited damage” but killed four soldiers.

Iran’s military general staff said the strikes only damaged radar systems and refrained from any threat of immediate retaliation.