Israel Attacks Iran Live Updates: ‘Hamas and Hezbollah are no longer ‘effective’ proxies for Iran,’ says Israeli Defense Minister

Israel Hezbollah War Live Updates: Israel on Saturday announced the launch of “precise strikes” on military targets in Iran, in retaliation against recent attacks attributed to Iran. According to Israeli military statements, these attacks are in response to “months of continuous attacks by the regime in Iran against the State of Israel.”

Iranian state media reported several explosions around Tehran, with Iranian state television confirming that “strong explosions” were heard in the capital, although the cause of the explosions was not specified.

Israel had vowed retaliation after Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attack. Since the October 7, 2023, attack by Iran-backed Hamas, Israel has stepped up operations in Gaza and expanded its focus into Lebanon, trying to secure its northern border amid repeated crossings. border aggression by Iran-backed Hezbollah. “Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized,” the Israeli military said, while spokesman Daniel Hagari urged civilians to remain “alert and vigilant.”

The United States described the Israeli attacks as “an exercise of self-defense,” citing Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier this month. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the attacks were in direct response to that aggression. Syria’s state news agency SANA also reported that Syrian air defenses intercepted “hostile targets” near Damascus, with explosions heard around the Syrian capital, although the source of these blasts remains unclear.

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