Military targets bombed in Iran, world calls for calm

Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes on Saturday in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month. The strikes marked the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran.

Following the airstrikes, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it had a right to self-defence, and “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.

Iran said its air defences had successfully countered the attack but four soldiers were killed and some locations suffered “limited damage.”

A semi-official Iranian news agency said there would be a “proportional reaction” to the Israeli strikes.

Israel’s 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 defence.

A woman walks past a mural painting of Iranian flags in a street in Tehran on Saturday. AFP

The UAE has strongly condemned the military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The UAE expressed deep concern over the continued escalation and its repercussions on regional security and stability.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed the importance of exercising utmost self-restraint and judgment to mitigate risks and prevent the expansion of the scale of conflict.

Furthermore, the Ministry reaffirmed the UAE’s position that enhancing dialogue, adhering to international law, and respecting the sovereignty of states are essential foundations for resolving current crises.

In this regard, the UAE emphasises the necessity of resolving disputes through diplomatic means, rather than confrontation and escalation.

Saudi Arabia condemned Israel and warned against any further expansion of the conflict in the Middle East.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its condemnation and denunciation” of the Israeli strikes, the foreign ministry said, repeating its “firm position rejecting escalation of the conflict in the region”, which “threatens the security and the stability of countries and peoples” in the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he hopes “this is the end” after Israeli warplanes struck military bases and missile sites in several Iranian provinces.

“It looks like they didn’t hit anything other than military targets,” Biden told reporters.

“I hope that this is the end.”

“Following the attacks overnight by Israel on targets in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the UN Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the continued escalation in the Middle East. All acts of escalation are condemnable and must stop,” said Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

The European Union called for all parties to exercise utmost restraint to avoid an “uncontrollable escalation” in the Middle East, warning: “The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliations risks causing a further expansion of the regional conflict.”

Other countries, including many of Iran’s neighbours, condemned Israel’s strikes and some, such as Russia, urged both sides to show restraint and avoid what Moscow dubbed a “catastrophic scenario.”

Qatar said “Israel’s targeting” of Iran is “a flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and a clear breach of the principles of international law.”

Bahrain, which normalised relations with Israel in 2020, condemned the “military operation” against Iran, expressing “deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions” in the region.

India on Saturday said that it remains “deeply concerned” by the evolving escalation in West Asia and its ramifications for peace and stability in the region and beyond.

“We reiterate our call to all concerned to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The ongoing hostilities are to nobody’s benefit, even as innocent hostages and civilian populations continue to suffer,” read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Agencies