Here’s what we know:

What happened?

The Israeli military said it carried out “precision strikes on military targets in Iran” on Saturday.

AFP journalists in Iran’s capital said explosions were heard around 2.15am in Tehran.

Iranian state television said the explosions were caused by the “activation of the air defense system” in response to the Israeli attack.

The Israeli military said it simultaneously struck missile production facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and other “air capabilities.”

He later said the airstrike “completed” Iran’s response to the October 1 missile attack, that the warplanes returned safely and that the mission was “completed.”

Iran’s air force confirmed it carried out attacks on military bases in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces that “caused limited damage”.

While the army stated that two soldiers were killed, the country’s civil aviation authority announced that flights would restart after a short break.

Iran has the “right and duty to defend itself”, the foreign ministry said, citing the UN Charter.

Syrian state media said Israel also carried out air strikes on its territory from the occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon

Iran and Syria are allies in the so-called “axis of resistance”, which also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Hezbollah said it fired rockets at an intelligence base in the north of Israel and unmanned aerial vehicles at an air base in the south of the country. The Israeli army said about 80 bullets were fired.

Why did Israel attack?

The Israeli military said it launched the attacks “in response to months of ongoing attacks” by the Islamic Republic.

“The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been continuously attacking Israel on seven fronts, including direct attacks from Iranian territory, since October 7,” the statement said.

Israel had vowed revenge on Tehran for the missile attack on October 1.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel’s retaliation would be “deadly, decisive and surprising.”

Iran has launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killings of Tehran-backed leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard general.

This was Tehran’s second direct attack on Israeli territory, following an attack in April in retaliation for a deadly attack targeting Iran’s annex in Damascus.

Israel has been fighting Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel that left 1,206 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, which is also supported by Tehran, has fired missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas since the Hamas attack that triggered Israel’s major military offensive in Gaza.

The world’s reaction?

Following Israel’s attacks on Iran, the USA and the UK called for “de-escalation”, while Muslim countries accused Israel of exacerbating the conflict.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the “targeted attacks on military targets” were “self-defense exercises” and emphasized that the United States was not involved in them.

“Our goal is to accelerate diplomacy and reduce tensions in the Middle East region,” he said.

While British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on “all parties to show restraint”, Germany also warned Tehran against “increasing mass reactions”.

Russia called on both sides to stop the violence, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warning of an “explosive escalation”.

Türkiye called for an end to “Israeli terrorism”

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

Syria expressed its “solidarity” with Iran, saying it supported Iran’s right to defend itself, while Iraq condemned global inaction against what it called Israel’s “aggressive policies.”

Qatar, the mediator trying to end the Gaza war, stated that Israel is “deeply concerned about the serious consequences that this escalation may have.”

Oman, which has long played a mediating role between Iran and Western countries, said Israel’s attack on Iran “fuels the cycle of violence and undermines efforts to reduce tensions.”