Iran’s supreme leader has said Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”, while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
The remarks from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday are the latest suggesting Iran is carefully weighing its response to the attack.
“It is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime and to take actions that serve the interests of this nation and country,” said Khamenei, who has the final say over all major decisions in Iran.
Israel claimed the attack, launched in three waves in the early hours of Saturday, was a “precise and targeted” response to the Iranian missile attack on the country on 1 October.
The comments come as one person was killed and dozens injured after a truck rammed into a bus stop at a major intersection near Tel Aviv on Sunday, in what police said they suspected was a terrorist attack.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, killed at least 36 Palestinians in a series of attacks in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Key Points
- Iranian officials to determine how to respond to Israel, Supreme Leader says
- One killed after truck rams into bus stop near Tel Aviv
- ‘I hope this is the end’, says Biden
US pressure on Israel over revenge against Iran has paid off for now
15:48
Tom Watling
CIA and Mossad chiefs to meet Qatar PM to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza, official says
15:13
Athena Stavrou
The directors of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad are seet to meet Qatar’s prime minister in Doha on Sunday to begin negotiations for a new short term Gaza ceasefire deal.
They are expected to discuss and the release of some hostages by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters.
The talks aim to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza that would last less than a month, with the hope that it would lead to a more permanent agreement, the official said.
The details of which or how many hostages and prisoners would be released as part of the deal is not yet clear, the official said.
UN Security Council expected to meet Monday over Israel's strike on Iran, diplomats say
14:51
Athena Stavrou
The United Nations Security Council is expected to meet on Monday to discuss Israel’s attack on Iran, diplomats said on Sunday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called on the Security Council to meet over the attack and diplomats said the council was likely to discuss the situation on Monday.
“The Israeli regime’s actions constitute a grave threat to international peace and security and further destabilize an already fragile region,” Araqchi said in a letter to the 15-member council on Saturday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in alignment with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and under international law, reserves its inherent right to legal and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time,” he wrote.
Israel claimed attack, launched in three waves in the early hours of Saturday, was a “precise and targeted” response to the Iranian missile attack on the country on 1 October.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon rejected Iran’s complaint at the United Nations, saying in a statement on Sunday that Iran was “trying to act against us in the diplomatic arena with the ridiculous claim that Israel has violated international law.”
“As we have stated time and time again, we have the right and duty to defend ourselves and will use all the means at our disposal to protect the citizens of Israel,” Danon said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed “to all parties to cease all military actions, including in Gaza and Lebanon, exert maximum efforts to prevent an all-out regional war and return to the path of diplomacy,” his spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
Latest pictures from Gaza
14:30
Athena Stavrou
One killed after truck rams into bus stop near Tel Aviv
14:02
Athena Stavrou
One person has now died after a truck rammed into a bus stop at a major intersection near Tel Aviv, in what police said they suspected was a terrorist attack.
Israeli police said about 40 people were injured to varying degrees, including some seriously, and were taken to nearby hospitals.
Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv said one of the victims succumbed to his wounds. Nearly Sheba Medical Center said it treated eight civilians and soldiers.
The attack, in which a truck ran into a bus stop close to a military base, took place around 10 am local time, police said, noting the driver - who had Israeli citizenship - was “neutralised” by gunfire from a nearby civilian.
“All investigative directions are being examined with an emphasis on the suspicion that this is a terror attack,” police said.
“Initial investigations suggest that the truck driver, who was traveling near the Glilot base (north of Tel Aviv) from north to south, veered off course and hit a bus and people waiting at the stop with the truck.”
Israeli media reported that the attacker was an Israeli Arab from Qalansawe in central Israel.
Gaza strip death toll increases to 45 as ceasefire talks resume
13:22
Barney Davis
Israeli military strikes killed at least 45 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday as efforts to secure a ceasefire in the more than year-long war resumed in Qatar.
The directors of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency will meet with Qatar’s prime minister on Sunday in Doha, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters.
The negotiations will seek a short-term ceasefire and the release of some hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners, the official said.
The talks aim to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a halt in fighting for less than a month in the hope it would lead to a more permanent ceasefire.
‘Shame on you’ Israeli protesters interrupt Netanyahu memorial speech
12:54
Barney Davis
Protesters disrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony Sunday remembering the victims of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last year.
People shouted “Shame on you” and made a commotion, forcing Netanyahu to stop his speech shortly after it began. The major commemorative event is being broadcast live around the country.
Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to Hamas’ October 7, attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home the remaining hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.
36 killed in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian health officials say
12:25
Athena Stavrou
Israeli military strikes have killed at least 36 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian health officials said.
Twenty people were killed following an airstrike on houses in Jabalia, the largest of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, medics and the Palestinian official news agency WAFA said.
An Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in Shati camp in Gaza City also killed four people and wounded 20 others, many in critical condition, medics said.
Two killed in Israeli strike on Lebanon's Sidon, ministry says
12:17
Athena Stavrou
At least two people have been killed by an Israeli strike on Sidon in southern Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said on Sunday.
A further 11 people were been wounded in the attack.
Truck rams into bus stop in Israel - pictures
11:56
Athena Stavrou
Israel’s defence minister briefs US over Iran strikes
11:46
Athena Stavrou
Israel’s defence minister and the US defence secretary have spoken about Israel’s recent strikes on Iran.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant’s office said he had briefed Lloyd Austin on the strikes and discussed “strategic opportunities”.
“Gallant discussed initial assessments regarding the success of the strikes against missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and Iranian aerial capabilities,” it said.
“Minister Gallant also discussed the strategic opportunities that have risen as a result of operational achievements, in both the northern and southern arenas,” the statement said, referring to fighting in Lebanon and Gaza.
Dozens injured as truck strikes bus stop in central Israel
11:07
Athena Stavrou
Dozens of people have been injured after a truck struck a bus stop at a major intersection in central Israel, with the circumstances around the incident on Sunday being investigated.
Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service said it was treating dozens of people at the site, at least four of them with serious injuries.
Israel tells residents of 14 Lebanese villages to move north of Awali River
10:49
Athena Stavrou
The Israeli military has told residents of 14 villages in southern Lebanon on Sunday to evacuate immediately and move north of the Awali river.
Iran’s defence capability hit hard, Netanyahu says
10:30
Athena Stavrou
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has Iran’s defence and ability to produce missiles has been hit hard following airstrikes on Saturday.
“The air force attacked throughout Iran. We hit hard Iran’s defence capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that are aimed at us,” Netanyahu said in a speech.
“The attack in Iran was precise and powerful, and it achieved all its objectives,” he said.
Tehran said its air defence intercepted most of the incoming drones and missiles and that the attack caused “limited damage”, although four of its soldiers were killed.
Satellite photos show Israel hit Iran former nuclear weapons test building, researchers say
10:24
Athena Stavrou
An Israeli airstrike has hit a building that was part of Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development program, researchers have said.
The assessments based on commercial satellite imagery were reached separately by David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at a Washington think tank.
They told Reuters that Israel struck buildings in Parchin, a massive military complex near Tehran. Israel also hit Khojir, according to Eveleth, a sprawling missile production site near Tehran.
Eveleth said the Israeli strikes may have “significantly hampered Iran’s ability to mass produce missiles.”
Ayatollah stops short of demanding revenge for Israeli strikes as Tehran mulls response
09:35
Athena Stavrou
Iran’s supreme leader has said Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”, while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
The remarks from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday are the latest suggesting Iran is carefully weighing its response to the attack.
“It is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime and to take actions that serve the interests of this nation and country,” said Khamenei, who has the final say over all major decisions in Iran.
Four Israeli soldiers killed in south Lebanon, Israeli military says
09:00
Namita Singh
Four Israeli soldiers were killed in south Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Israeli military said today.
Multiple injuries as truck strikes bus stop in central Israel, police say
08:45
Namita Singh
Multiple people were injured on Sunday when a truck struck a bus stop at a major intersection in central Israel, Israeli police said.
“Currently, the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation,” the police said in a statement.
Israeli media said at least 20 people were injured.
Iranian officials to determine how to respond to Israel, Supreme Leader says
08:07
Namita Singh
Iranian officials should determine how best to demonstrate Iran’s power to Israel after the Israeli attack on Iran two nights ago, Iran’s official IRNA news agency cited the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying on Sunday.
“The evil committed by the Zionist regime (Israel) two nights ago should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated”, IRNA cited Mr Khamenei as saying.
Iran on Saturday played down Israel’s overnight air attack against Iranian military targets, saying it caused only limited damage, as US president Joe Biden called for a halt to escalation that has raised fears of an all-out conflagration in the Middle East.
Israel’s attack on Iran: Everything we know as IDF targets military sites in Tehran
07:59
Namita Singh
Israel has launched air strikes on military targets inside Iran in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack earlier this month.
Iran’s foreign ministry has said that the country has a right to defend itself “against external aggressive acts”.
Here’s what else we know so far:
Dozens killed in Israeli air strikes on northern Gaza, says Wafa news agency
07:41
Namita Singh
At least 40 Palestinians were killed and 80 others injured in Israeli air strikes on several houses in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya on Saturday, official Palestinian news agency Wafa said today, citing medical sources.
Iran demands urgent UN Security Council meeting over Israeli strikes
07:35
Namita Singh
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address Israel’s recent attacks against Iran, in a letter to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
In a statement to state television, Mr Araghchi expressed doubts about the outcome, given the US’s position, stating, “With the US and certain other countries present, there is little hope for resolutions that could reduce tensions or curb the Zionist regime’s actions, yet we are still pursuing this.” He emphasised that such a session would allow Iran and regional allies opposed to the attacks to assert their stance.
Mr Araghchi criticised the US’s role in the conflict, describing America as “a partner in the crimes of the Zionist regime” and accused Washington of facilitating the attacks. “The Americans’ involvement is evident to us,” he said, alleging that the US “at the very least, provided Israel’s air force with an air corridor” for the recent strikes.
Israeli attacks kill six in Lebanon
06:30
Namita Singh
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least six people and injured one on Saturday evening, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The fatalities occurred in the town of Jdeideh Marjayoun.
The agency reported that Israeli forces targeted several neighbourhoods in Beirut overnight, with airstrikes hitting Burj al-Barajneh, Haret Hreik and al-Hadath in the district of Dahiyeh. These areas, primarily residential and located in the southern suburbs, were reportedly heavily affected by the attacks.
Details regarding the condition of the injured individual remain unclear as local authorities respond to the aftermath of the strikes.
Iran vows 'certain' retaliation to Israeli attacks
06:16
Namita Singh
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared that Israel’s latest attacks against his country were ineffectual, contrasting them with Iran’s missile strikes earlier this month, and promised that Tehran would respond.
In an address aired at the start of a closed meeting, Mr Ghalibaf accused Israel of committing “genocide and the mass murder of defenceless children and women in Gaza and Lebanon” and argued that Israel “has no credibility on the international stage”, Al Jazeera reported.
Mr Ghalibaf, a former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, asserted that under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran considered itself entitled to self-defence and would deliver a “certain” response in line with international law.
He also accused the US of being “the main partner in all the war crimes” committed by Israel, urging Washington to “rein in” Israel and push for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon to prevent further civilian deaths.
Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes have killed 22 people in northern Gaza
06:00
Namita Singh
Israeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 22 people, Palestinian medical officials said.
The Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said that 11 women and two children were among those killed in the strikes late on Saturday in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
A Lebanese family was holding a Sunday gathering when an Israeli strike toppled their building
05:45
Namita Singh
It was Sunday, family time for most in Lebanon, and Hecham al-Baba was visiting his sister. She insisted he and their older brother stay for lunch, hoping to prolong the warm gathering in stressful times.
The brother declined. Like many in Lebanon, he hadn’t been sleeping because of Israel’s intensifying airstrikes, so he left to take a nap.
The 60-year-old, on his annual visit from Germany to see his family in Lebanon, stayed. His sister Donize even convinced him to call an old flame over for coffee. He excitedly stepped into the bathroom to clean up before his visitor arrived.
Within seconds, a huge boom shook the basement apartment. Mr Al-Baba fell to the floor. Something hit him in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. He pulled himself up and reached for the door, screaming his sister’s name. A second explosion threw him back to the floor. The bathroom ceiling — and the whole building above it — collapsed on his back.
An Israeli air raid hit the six-story residential building in Ain el Delb, a neighborhood outside the coastal city of Sidon. The entire building tipped over down a hillside and landed on its face, taking with it 17 apartments full of families and visitors. More than 70 people were killed, and 60 injured.
Israel said the 29 September strike targeted a Hezbollah commander and claimed the building was a headquarters for the group. It could not be independently confirmed whether any of the residents belonged to Hezbollah.
In a video that surfaced online mourning one of the people believed to be residing in the building, he appeared in an old photo wearing military fatigues, a sign of affiliation with Hezbollah.
Satellite photos show Israel hit Iran former nuclear weapons test building
05:25
Namita Singh
An American researcher said an Israeli airstrike on Saturday hit a building that was part of Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development programme, and he and another researcher said facilities used to mix solid fuel for missiles also were struck.
The assessments based on commercial satellite imagery were reached separately by David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a Washington think tank.
They told Reuters that Israel struck buildings in Parchin, a massive military complex near Tehran. Israel also hit Khojir, according to Mr Eveleth, a sprawling missile production site near Tehran.
Reuters reported in July that Khojir was undergoing massive expansion.
Mr Eveleth said the Israeli strikes may have “significantly hampered Iran’s ability to mass produce missiles.”
The Israeli military said three waves of Israeli jets struck missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran early on Saturday in retaliation for Tehran’s 1 October barrage of more than 200 missiles against Israel.
Iran’s military said the Israeli warplanes used “very light warheads” to strike border radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan and around Tehran.
In posts on X, Mr Albright said commercial satellite imagery showed that Israel hit a building in Parchin called Taleghan 2 that was used for testing activities during the Amad Plan, Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development program.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and US intelligence say Iran shuttered the program in 2003. Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons.
Mr Albright, head of the Institute for Science and International Security research group, was given access to the program’s files for a book after they were stolen from Tehran by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency in 2018.
On X, he said the archives revealed that Iran kept important test equipment in Taleghan 2.
Iran may have removed key materials before the airstrike, he said, but “even if no equipment remained inside” the building would have provided “intrinsic value” for future nuclear weapons-related activities.
Mr Albright told Reuters that commercial satellite imagery of Parchin showed Israel damaged three buildings about 320 m) from Taleghan 2, including two in which solid fuel for ballistic missiles was mixed.
He did not identify the commercial firm from which he obtained the images.
John Swinney calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
05:15
Namita Singh
Scotland’s First Minister has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, saying it is “at the heart” of reaching wider peace in the Middle East.
John Swinney was speaking on the first anniversary of the day Israeli forces began their ground invasion of Gaza, which came after Hamas launched its attack on Israel on 7 October last year.
Mr Swinney said that international recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine, as part of a two-state solution, is also a “fundamental pillar” upon which lasting peace could be built.
He also called for the unconditional release of all hostages.
Report:
Five things to know about Israel's attack on Iran
05:00
Tom Watling
ICRC decries 'extremely dire' conditions in northern Gaza
04:45
Namita Singh
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described the situation in northern Gaza as “extremely dire” and said people wishing to evacuate must be assured safe passage.
“Ongoing evacuation orders, and continued restriction on introduction of essential supplies, leaves the remaining civilian population in north Gaza in horrific circumstances,” the ICRC said in a statement on yesterday.
“Hospitals are being told to evacuate, leaving a potential vacuum of medical services for the many civilians who remain...,” it added.
Israeli strike kills 30 in Beit Lahiya, says WAFA news agency
04:30
Namita Singh
At least 30 people were killed in Israeli strikes on several houses in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya, reported Palestinian official news agency WAFA. There was no official confirmation from the health ministry on the death toll.
The Israeli military said it had carried out “a precise strike using precise munitions on Hamas terrorists within a structure in the area of Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip. A number of terrorists have been hit in the strike.”
It added that the high number of casualties mentioned in the media report did not align with the type of munitions used in the precision attack.
Israeli military strikes on the towns of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza have so far killed around 800 people during a three-week offensive, the Gaza ministry added.
Israel says its forces returned to northern Gaza to root out Hamas fighters who regrouped there. The Israeli military said on Friday that three of its soldiers were killed in combat in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli army leaves north Gaza hospital but detains medics, says health ministry
04:15
Namita Singh
Israeli forces withdrew from a hospital complex in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza on Saturday, a day after storming it. The Palestinian enclave’s health ministry said the troops had detained dozens of male medical staffers and some of the patients.
The Israeli soldiers had stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities struggling to operate in the area, on Friday and footage circulated by the health ministry showed damage to several buildings after the Israeli forces withdrew.
Medics said at least 44 of the facility’s 70 staffers had been detained by the Israelis. It later said 14 of them had been released, including the hospital’s director.
An Israeli military spokesperson declined comment on the hospital report.
Medics said at least two children had died inside the intensive care unit after Israeli fire hit the generators and oxygen station in the facility on Friday.
Medical staffers have refused Israeli army orders to evacuate the hospital or leave their patients unattended. Before the army raid, medics said at least 600 people had been in the hospital, including patients and their escorts.
“The safety and lives of patients who are left inside Kamal Adwan Hospital without medical staff and much-needed medication are at risk now,” said Marwan Al-Hams of the health ministry.
RAF’s Gaza photos could be used against Israel in war crimes court
04:00
Tom Watling
‘I hope this is the end’
03:45
Namita Singh
US president Joe Biden told reporters Israel had informed him before the strikes and said it looked like “they didn’t hit anything but military targets”.
His administration won assurances from Israel in mid-October that it would not hit nuclear facilities and oil installations. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s nuclear facilities were not impacted.
“I hope this is the end,” Mr Biden said.
Trump, Harris address Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid US presidential campaign
03:14
Namita Singh
On the campaign trail this weekend, vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump briefly addressed Israel’s airstrikes on Iran military sites.
“Israel is attacking - we’ve got a war going on and she’s out partying,” Trump said at a rally in Michigan on Friday as Harris was holding an event with Beyonce in Texas.
Meanwhile, Ms Harris yesterday called for “de-escalation and not an escalation of activities in that region”.
“I feel very strongly, we as the United States feel very strongly that Iran must stop what it is doing in terms of the threat that it presents to the region and we will always defend Israel against any attacks by Iran in that way,” she told reporters in Michigan.
Iran’s president warns against further attacks
03:01
Namita Singh
Iran’s president has warned against further attacks on his country after Israel launched pre-dawn airstrikes yesterday.
In a statement posted to X, president Masoud Pezeshkian offered his condolences to the families of the four soldiers killed in the attacks and said Iran would continue to defend itself.
“Enemies of Iran should know these brave people are standing fearlessly in defence of their land and will respond to any stupidity with tact and intelligence,” he said.
The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities Iran used to make the missiles fired at Israel as well as other missile sites.
There was no indication oil or nuclear sites were struck, and Iran insisted the strikes caused only “limited damage”.
Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it “considers itself entitled and obligated to defend against foreign acts of aggression”.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has “no limits” in defending its interests and called for the UN Security Council to condemn Israel for the attacks.
But late on Saturday, Iran’s military issued a carefully worded statement suggesting any ceasefire in Israel’s ground offensives in Gaza and Lebanon would trump any possible retaliatory strike.
Everything we know about Israel’s attack on Iran
03:00
Tom Watling
Israel conducting ‘precise strikes’ against Iran in Tehran
02:00
Tom Watling
Israel accuses 6 Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza of being Palestinian militants
01:00
Tom Watling
Israel helicopter fires on Lebanon - picture
Sunday 27 October 2024 00:00
Tom Watling
Who is Hashem Safieddine of Hezbollah Israel claims to have killed?
Saturday 26 October 2024 23:00
Tom Watling
Smoke rises in southern Lebanon after airstrike
Saturday 26 October 2024 22:00
Tom Watling
Satellite images show impact of Israeli airstrike on Tehran
Saturday 26 October 2024 21:00
Tom Watling
Satellite images provided to me by a source reveal that the Parchin military base, east of Tehran, was targeted overnight by the IAF. The image on the left depicts the site prior to the strike, while the post-strike image on the right indicates two areas affected by an attack. pic.twitter.com/Um2WbPh0Y6
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) October 26, 2024
RAF’s Gaza photos could be used against Israel in war crimes court
Saturday 26 October 2024 20:00
Tom Watling
UN chief Guterres says escalation in Middle East must stop
Saturday 26 October 2024 19:29
Holly Bancroft
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the escalation between Israel and Iran and called for an end to all military action in the region following Israeli strikes on military sites near Tehran.
His comments come after US President Joe Biden said that he hoped that the Israeli strikes against Iran are at an end.
Iran’s foreign ministry has issued a statement saying that it is “entitled and obligated to defend itself”.
Iran has no limits in defending itself, foreign minister is quoted as saying
Saturday 26 October 2024 18:56
Holly Bancroft
Iran has no limits when it comes to defending its interests, its territorial integrity and its people, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He was speaking after Israel bombed military sites in Iran in the early hours of Saturday, a retaliation for an Iranian attack on Israel earlier this month.
Recap: Everything we know about Israel’s attack on Iran
Saturday 26 October 2024 18:29
Holly Bancroft
Israel has launched air strikes on military targets inside Iran in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack earlier this month.
Iran’s foreign ministry has said that the country has a right to defend itself “against external aggressive acts”.
Here’s what else we know so far:
German Chancellor: ‘This has to stop now’
Saturday 26 October 2024 17:41
Holly Bancroft
German chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on Iran not to retaliate against Israel’s strikes, saying: “My message to Iran is clear: such massive escalatory responses cannot go on forever”.
He added: “This has to stop now and presents an opportunity for a peaceful development in the Middle East. A ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages are important to this end. I call on all parties to do just this.”
Mr Scholz added in a statement on social media platform X: “The same goes for Lebanon. UN Resolution 1701 continues to be the benchmark for the conduct of all those involved. We expect Hezbollah to pull back to positions behind the Litani River, thereby facilitating a peaceful development also here.”
The Israeli Government informed us today that it has attacked Iran’s military installations in a precise and targeted manner in response to the massive missile attack against Israel, which took place recently. 1/5
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) October 26, 2024
Flight paths show cancelled flights over Iran
Saturday 26 October 2024 17:14
Holly Bancroft
Photo taken early on Saturday shows how commercial flights were forced to avoid Iran after Israel carried out strikes on military targets in the country.
Iran suspended all flights on Saturday following the attack.
Pictured: Israeli jets shown before strikes on Iran
Saturday 26 October 2024 16:40
Holly Bancroft
New photos have been published by the Israeli army of their operation to strike military targets in Iran.
The Israeli military said on Saturday, it had completed its air attack on Iran, saying it hit the Islamic republic’s missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and other aerial capabilities across several areas of the country.
The final photo shows a