Israel carried out what it described as “precise and targeted” air strikes in retaliation against Iran. barrage of missile attacks Tehran’s offensive against Israel launched earlier this month.

It’s the latest in a series of talks between the two countries that have sparked fears of an all-out regional war for months.

But while Iran said four soldiers were killed in attacks on military sites on Saturday, initial indications suggest the attacks were more limited than feared.

Here’s what we know.

How did the attacks occur?

Iranian media reported that there were explosions in and around the capital Tehran at around 02:15 local time (22:45 GMT on Friday).

In the video uploaded to social media and verified by the BBC, bullets were seen in the sky over the city, while residents in some areas reported hearing loud explosions.

Shortly afterwards, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had carried out “precise” strikes on “military targets” in Iran.

Multiple aircraft, including jets and unmanned aerial vehicles, participated in the attacks. Targets include Iran’s air defense, as well as missile and drone production and launch facilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant followed the operation from the IDF’s command and control center in Tel Aviv.

The strikes occurred in several waves over a three-hour period. The IDF said just after 06:30 (03:00 GMT) that the attacks ended.

The White House described the attacks as a “self-defense exercise.” A senior administration official said the United States was working with Israel to encourage a “targeted and proportionate” response.

What was the extent of the attacks?

The extent of the attacks and the damage caused remain unclear at this stage.

The IDF said it hit about 20 targets, including missile production facilities, surface-to-air missiles and other military installations.

The Iranian military confirmed that four soldiers died, two of whom were “fighting bullets”.

Iranian officials said facilities in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces were targeted. The country’s air defense said it “successfully prevented” the attacks but “limited damage occurred in some areas.”

BBC Verify detected damage to a defense ministry base in the east of Tehran and an air defense base to the south.

A senior US administration official said the attacks did not damage Iran’s oil infrastructure or nuclear facilities, which are targeted by President Joe Biden. He called on Israel not to strike.

Syrian state media also reported attacks on military sites in central and southern Syria, but Israel did not confirm that it had struck that country.

Why did Israel attack Iran?

Iran is the primary supporter of a number of groups hostile to Israel in the Middle East, often described as proxy groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, with which Israel is currently at war.

In April, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel with nearly 300 missiles and drones in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike. Attack on Iranian embassy building The incident in Syria in which many senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were killed.

Israel responded with a “limited” attack on the missile defense system in the Isfahan region, where Iran chose not to respond.

Then in July, Israel killed one of Hezbollah’s top commanders in an airstrike on Beirut. The next day, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran. Iran blamed Israel, but Israel did not comment.

Israel in late September Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior Iranian official in Beirut.

On October 1, Iran took action approximately 180 ballistic missiles In Israel, it was stated that this was in response to the deaths of Haniyeh, Nasrallah and Nilforoushan.

This latest attack on Iran is Israel’s response to this.

What happens next?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied a report by US broadcaster Axios that before the attacks, Israel sent a message to Iran revealing some details about the attacks and warning Tehran not to respond.

The Prime Ministry spokesman said, “Israel did not inform Iran about the time, targets, or strength of the attack before the attack.”

However, early signs suggest that this attack is not as serious as some feared.

“We are focused on our war objectives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to press for broader escalation in the region,” the IDF said in a statement.

“This should be the end of direct conflict between Israel and Iran,” a senior US official said.

Iran’s foreign ministry said it “had the right and obligation to defend itself” and called the attack a violation of international law.

However, it was also stated that Tehran is aware of its “responsibilities towards regional peace and security”.

What is the situation in Iran?

Images published by Iranian state media show life continuing relatively normally, with crowded streets, people exercising in parks and fruit and vegetable markets open as usual.

Iran closed its airspace for several hours overnight, but it later reopened and commercial flights began across the country in the afternoon.

But there are signs that the Iranian government is willing to downplay the impact of the attacks.

The Revolutionary Guard announced that sending “images or news” about the attack to media outlets deemed “Israeli-linked” or “enemy” is a criminal offense. Iran often describes Western media as enemies.

Iranian media reported today that the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal complaint against an unnamed website for “reporting on issues against national security”.

How did the world react?

U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said Israel’s response “avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets, unlike Iran’s Israeli attack, which targeted Israel’s most populous city.”

But he added that Washington’s aim was to “accelerate diplomacy and reduce tensions in the Middle East region.”

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Israel had the right to defend itself but called on all parties to show restraint and urged Iran not to respond.

Saudi Arabia condemned the attack and warned against any actions that “threaten the security and stability” of the region.

Egypt’s foreign ministry echoed these concerns, saying it was “gravely concerned” by the attacks.

Hamas called them “a clear violation of Iranian sovereignty and a escalation targeting the security of the region and the security of its people.”

Additional reporting by Ghoncheh Habibiazad from BBC Monitoring

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