
Israel sent message to Iran before attack – reports published at 12:36
12:36
Jiyar Gol
BBC Persian correspondent
Before today’s attack, Israeli media reported that Israel, through a third party, had sent a message to Iran urging it not to retaliate.
The 1 October attacks by Iran on Israel, and Israel's strikes today on Iran, suggest that neither country seeks a full-scale war, with both taking steps to minimise casualties. Iran's oil and nuclear facilities, for instance, were deliberately avoided in the strikes.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed the targets included missile production sites, surface-to-air missile locations, and air defence systems, adding that "Israel now has greater air manoeuvrability over Iran". The focus, it seems, is more on demonstrating military reach than on inflicting severe damage.
Iranian state media claims Israel is exaggerating the scale of today strikes on sensitive sites. In April, the Iranian government denied an attack targeting Iranian air defences near Isfahan, but last week, Gen. Jafari, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, admitted it took place, though he minimised its impact.
In the coming days, many in Israel and Iran will be holding their breath to see if Iran retaliates – whether Iran will refrain from responding, as it did following the Isfahan incident, or choose a different course of action.
Israel's military says it completed "precise strikes on military targets", weeks after Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel.
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