As explosions thundered across Tehran on Friday night, a senior US official confirmed that Israel’s massive retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian military targets had full support from the United States. Sean Savett, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated that Israel’s strikes were in direct response to Iran’s October 1 missile assault on Israel and were considered a defensive action. “We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes… as an exercise of self-defense,” Savett told CNN. President Joe Biden was notified of the attack ahead of time and is monitoring the situation closely.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the airstrikes as “precise” and focused on dismantling Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, which Israel claims have been involved in ongoing attacks through Iran’s proxies across the region. According to an IDF statement, Israel has been facing attacks on “seven fronts” since early October, including direct missile launches from Iranian soil. The IDF cited Israel’s “right and duty” to respond to these threats and announced that all offensive and defensive measures had been activated for the operation.
Witnesses in Tehran reported hearing intense explosions, with one local saying, “It was so loud and the sky became red.” Meanwhile, Iranian state media played down the attack, attributing some explosions to air defense systems in action. While Israeli officials assured US counterparts that no critical civilian or nuclear sites would be targeted, the strikes nevertheless mark an unprecedented escalation in Israeli-Iranian tensions.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly prepared multiple response plans, according to officials speaking anonymously to The New York Times. These plans vary based on the extent of damage inflicted by Israel’s airstrikes, with Iran considering counterattacks if strategic facilities or vital sites are hit. Some military insiders warn that Israel’s actions could trigger a fierce Iranian response, including the possible launch of 1,000 ballistic missiles—a fivefold increase over Iran’s October assault.
The strikes came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned from a tour of the Middle East, where he reportedly advised Israeli leaders to avoid escalation and keep strikes limited to military targets. With the Middle East already on high alert, regional leaders are warning that unchecked retaliations could destabilize an already volatile landscape.
As Israeli jets return home and tensions continue to rise, the world watches closely, bracing for Iran’s next move in this dangerous standoff.
