TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes on Saturday in retaliation for a barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired at Israel earlier this month. The Israeli army openly attacked Iran for the first time.

The Israeli military said its planes targeted surface-to-air missile sites as well as facilities used by Iran to build the missiles fired at Israel.

More importantly, there was no indication that Iran’s oil or nuclear sites had been hit. While Iran insists the attacks caused only “limited damage”, Iranian state media also downplayed the attacks. Taken together, these moves suggest that, at least for now, both countries are trying to avoid more serious escalation.

Still, the attacks risk pushing the arch-foes closer to all-out war at a time when violence is spiraling in the Middle East, where Iranian-backed militant groups including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon are already at war with Israel.

Following the airstrikes, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying it “considers itself entitled and obliged to defend against acts of foreign aggression.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran “has no limits” in defending its interests.

But late Saturday, Iran’s military issued a carefully worded statement arguing that any ceasefire on Israeli ground offensives in Gaza and Lebanon would overshadow any possible retaliatory strikes.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said four people were killed, all due to military air defenses. The Iranian military said the attacks targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces. But Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which oversees its vast ballistic missile arsenal, remained silent, raising questions about whether anything had been hit from its bases.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that Israel notified him before the attacks and said they “didn’t hit anything other than military targets.” His administration received assurances from Israel in mid-October that it would not strike nuclear and oil facilities. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran’s nuclear facilities were not affected.

“I hope this is the last time,” Biden said.

First open attack from Israel on Iran

Iran has not faced a sustained barrage of fire from a foreign enemy since its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Explosions could be heard in Tehran until sunrise.

Israel is also thought to be behind a limited airstrike that hit the radar system of a Russian-made air defense battery near a major air base in Iran in April. Following the killing of two Iranian generals in an apparent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic outpost in Syria, Iran had previously fired a wave of missiles and drones at Israel, causing minimal damage.

Iran launched at least 180 missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for Israel’s devastating blows to Hezbollah. They caused minimal damage and few injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “made a big mistake.”

“If the regime in Iran makes the mistake of starting a new round of escalation, we will have to respond,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Footage published by the Israeli army showed members preparing to launch attacks with American-made F-15 and F-16 warplanes.

An Iranian military statement said Israeli warplanes fired light missiles 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Iranian border. The military said the missiles hit air defense radar stations, some of which were currently under repair.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused the United States of complicity in the attack and claimed that the United States controlled Iraqi airspace.

Yoel Guzansky, a researcher at the Tel Aviv Institute for National Security Studies who previously worked for Israel’s National Security Council, said Israel’s strike did not eliminate highly visible or symbolic facilities that could trigger a significant response from Iran.

This also gives Israel room to escalate tensions if necessary, he said, adding that targeting air defense systems would weaken Iran’s ability to defend against future attacks, adding that if Iran retaliates, it should be limited.

“By targeting military sites and missile facilities on its nuclear and energy infrastructure, Israel is also sending the message that it will not further escalate tensions for now,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London-based think tank Chatham. House.

After the strikes, the streets calmed down in Iran’s capital, and schools and shops opened. There were long queues at gas stations; this was commonplace during times of flare-up of military violence. But some residents appeared concerned and avoided speaking to an Associated Press reporter.

Mixed reactions at home and abroad

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the decision to avoid “strategic and economic objectives”, saying “We could and should have demanded a much heavier price from Iran” for X.

The US warned against further retaliation, and Britain and Germany said Iran should not respond. “Any actions that escalate tensions are condemnable and must be stopped,” a spokesman for the UN secretary-general said.

Saudi Arabia was one of many countries in the region to condemn the attack, calling it a “violation of sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms” by Iran. Hezbollah and Hamas condemned Israel’s attack.

Regional tensions are escalating.

Dozens of people died and thousands were injured when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon in attacks attributed to Israel in September. The following week, a major Israeli airstrike outside Beirut killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel launched a ground operation against Southern Lebanon. More than a million Lebanese have been displaced and the death toll has risen sharply due to air strikes in and around Beirut.

Hezbollah warned 25 communities in Israel’s north on Saturday to evacuate, calling them “legitimate military targets” as Israel attacked the militant group from there.

Enemies for decades

Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel sees Iran as the biggest threat, citing its leaders’ calls for Israel’s destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups, and the country’s nuclear program.

During years of shadow wars, a suspected Israeli assassination campaign killed Iranian nuclear scientists and Iran’s nuclear facilities were hacked or sabotaged. Meanwhile, Iran has been blamed for attacks on shipping in the Middle East.

The shadow war has increasingly come to light since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other militants attacked Israel. They killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took approximately 250 hostages into Gaza. In response, Israel launched a devastating air and ground offensive against Hamas. About 100 people remained, and about a third are believed to be dead.

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in largely devastated Gaza, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say more than half are women and children.

“Those who did not die in the bombing die of hunger. This is life,” said a woman named Madallah Abu Zaid, who was displaced from northern Gaza.

Gambrell reported from Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, and Schreck reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Abby Sewell in Beirut; Lolita C. Baldor, Farnoush Amiri and Zeke Miller in Washington; David Rising in Bangkok; and Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.