Israel's retaliatory strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran are officially underway as explosions rock different parts of the country Friday night. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the news shortly after the strikes began - nuclear sites and oil fields were not targets
"In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel—right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran. The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th—on seven fronts—including direct attacks from Iranian soil," an IDF spokesperson released in a statement on X. "Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel."
“We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st. We would refer you to the Israeli government for more information on their operation,” Biden’s National Security Council released in response.
The strikes are a response to the October 1 ballistic missile attack launched by Iran against Israeli civilians. More than 200 ballistic missiles were sent into the country and were shot down. In April the regime conducted a separate, full scale attack from Iran that included more than 300 ballistic missiles and drones.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration has heavily pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit the response -- claiming proportionality should be considered and restraint invoked. Currently, President Joe Biden is in Delaware.
Prior to Iran's second ballistic missile attack, Netanyahu issued a message directly to the Iranian people.