• Israel launched direct strikes against Iran early Saturday, in a high-stakes retaliation to Tehran’s ballistic missile barrage earlier this month. Israel said it hit military targets, which did not include energy infrastructure, according to an Israeli military source.
• Four members of Iran’s military were killed in the attack, according to state-run media, and Tehran said afterward that it is “entitled” to defend itself. But Iran appeared to downplay the strikes overall, reporting limited damage at military sites.
• A senior US administration official said President Joe Biden encouraged Israel to design its attack against Iran in a way that would deter further escalation. World leaders have been urging the two sides to avoid a wider regional war.
• Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry says Israeli forces detained male staff members during a raid at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of the enclave, where the UN human rights chief says Israel is “subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation.”
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UN Security Council to convene Monday following Israel’s Iran strikes
From CNN’s Eugenia Yosef
Members of the United Nations Security Council meet in New York on October 16, 2024.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/File
The United Nations Security Council will convene on Monday following Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Iran, according to Israel’s mission to the UN.
Iran requested the Security Council meeting, claiming that Israel violated international law with its direct strikes against it early Saturday.
In a letter to the Security Council, Iran’s permanent mission to the UN said Israel’s actions “constitute a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Iran and are “a flagrant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Iran’s request was “another attempt by Iran to harm us, this time in the political arena,” vowing to “stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Danon called claims that Israel has violated international law “ridiculous.”
Some context: Israel said it hit military targets in Iran during its high-stakes retaliation to Tehran’s ballistic missile barrage earlier this month.
The strikes did not include energy infrastructure, according to an Israeli military source. Iran has appeared to downplay the strikes overall, reporting limited damage at military sites.
Four members of Iran’s military were killed in the attack, according to state-run media, and Tehran said afterward that it is “entitled” to defend itself.
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Israel says it conducted "precise strike" on Hamas in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Israeli Air Force conducted a “precise strike” on Hamas within a structure in the area of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza Saturday, hitting several “terrorists.”
The IDF said it took steps to mitigate the risk to civilians before the strike by using aerial surveillance and additional intelligence, and emphasized it is “doing everything possible to avoid causing harm to uninvolved civilians.”
Gaza’s Civil Defense said Saturday that an Israeli strike on a residential block in Beit Lahiya killed and wounded “dozens” of people.
The IDF said its initial examination shows “the numbers published by the media are exaggerated and do not align with the information held by the IDF.”
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Austin tells Israeli counterpart: “Iran should not make the mistake of responding to Israel’s strikes”
From Liz Turrell
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a press briefing in Washington, DC, on July 25.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images/File
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant Saturday to discuss the Israel Defense Forces’ overnight precision strikes on military targets in Iran.
Austin also discussed “the opportunities that now exist to use diplomacy to dial down tensions in the region,” including both a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza, as well as an agreement in Lebanon that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely to their homes.
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Iran says it will not hesitate to respond to Israeli attacks
From CNN's Nechrivan Mando and Mohammed Tawfeeq
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said his country “will not hesitate to respond decisively and appropriately to any violation of its territorial integrity and security at the appropriate time” following Israel’s attack on Iran early Saturday.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian made similar remarks on his “X” account late Saturday stating Iran “will respond to any act of foolishness with wisdom and intelligence.”
Araghchi spoke on separate phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, Egypt, and Syria on Saturday “to exchange views on the latest development in the region,” according to a statement released by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
The three countries’ foreign ministers condemned Israel’s attacks on several military sites in Iran, the statement said.
They also emphasized the importance of “increasing efforts to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, halt the Zionist regime’s war machine, and restore stability and security to the region,” the ministry statement added.
Araghchi also urged the international community to take effective measures to prevent further escalation in the region.
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Israeli strike kills and wounds dozens in northern Gaza, Civil Defense says
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
An Israeli strike on a residential block in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, has killed and wounded dozens of people, Gaza Civil Defense said Saturday evening local time.
CNN is unable to independently verify the claim. The Israel Defense Forces has told CNN it is looking into the reports.
In its statement, Gaza Civil Defense said “ongoing Israeli targeting and aggression in northern Gaza” has left it “completely” unable to carry out rescue and emergency services.
Some background: The United Nations’ human rights chief has warned that the war’s “darkest moment” is currently unfolding in the north of the Gaza Strip.
The official, Volker Turk, said Friday that Israel is “subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation” in northern Gaza.
Israel has laid siege to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya for several days, detaining all male medical staff at the hospital “while confining women in one of the hospital rooms without water or food,” according to Gaza’s health ministry.
It has been 21 days since Israel ramped up its military operation in northern Gaza, saying it was working to prevent Hamas from regrouping there.
CNN’s Abeer Salman, Eyad Kourdi, Kareem Khadder, Tim Lister, Ibrahim Dahman and Nadeen Ebrahim contributed reporting to this post.
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Iran claims Israel used Iraqi airspace to carry out Saturday's attack
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq, Jennifer Hauser and Nechirvan Mando
Tehran has accused Israel of using Iraqi airspace in its attack on Iran early Saturday.
Israeli “warplanes attacked several Iranian military and radar sites from Iraqi airspace, approximately 70 miles from Iran’s border,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a post on the social media platform X on Saturday.
The mission also blamed the US for complicity in Israel’s attack, saying, “Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the US military.” The US has said it was given a heads up about the strikes but was not directly involved in the attack.
The Iraqi radical Shia clerk Muqtada al-Sadr, who is also a politician and militia leader, urged the Iraqi government Saturday to “respond quickly with diplomatic and political measures” against Israel for the alleged airspace violation.
Two Iraqi security sources could not confirm or deny to CNN whether Iraqi airspace was used in the attack.
There has been no official response from Iraq on this matter. CNN has reached out to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
When asked if Israel used Iraqi airspace, the Israel Defense Forces told CNN it cannot elaborate beyond what has already been published. Earlier, an IDF spokesperson said dozens of Israeli aircraft attacked Iran early Saturday, with strikes hitting some 1,600 kilometers (about 994 miles) from Israel. He did not provide further details.
Military eases safety restrictions for some parts of northern Israel
From CNN’s Dana Karni and Mohammed Tawfeeq
The Israeli military decided to ease some safety and security restrictions for residents in parts of northern Israel on Saturday.
Despite Israel’s attack on Iran earlier, these new loosened restrictions went into effect Saturday at 8 p.m. local time “following a situational assessment.”
In some parts of Upper Galilee, the Golan Heights and Haifa Bay, the activity level changed from “limited to partial,” which is significant because some schools can reopen.
And in some parts of the Galilee area, the activities have been loosened from “partial to full,” but with a restriction on gatherings of up to 2,000 people, the Israeli military said in a statement.
Remember: Tens of thousands of residents have been displaced from northern Israel due to cross-border fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon, while others in the north of the country remain at home but live under restrictions. One of Israel’s stated war aims is to return displaced residents to northern communities.
On the other side of the border, Lebanese officials say more than 1 million people have been displaced and more than 2,500 people have been killed due to heavy Israeli bombardment.
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Israeli military hit multiple air defense batteries in Iran strikes, official says
From CNN's Jeremy Diamond
The Israeli military struck multiple S-300 air defense batteries located in strategic locations during overnight strikes in Iran, an Israeli official said.
The strikes “directly translate” to increasing the Israeli Air Force’s ability to maneuver in Iranian skies to carry out future strikes, should Iran retaliate, the Israeli official said.
The Israeli military has not released statistics on the number of targets hit, nor the specific amount of damage done in Iran.
Iran has sought to downplay the success of Israeli strikes, arguing there was only limited damage, and a number of missiles were intercepted. It has also accused Israel of using Iraqi airspace to carry out the attack.
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Israeli government remains tight-lipped about Iran attack to avoid further escalation
From CNN's Jeremy Diamond
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitors the attack on Iran from an undisclosed location early Saturday. Parts of this image were obscured by the Israel Defense Forces.
GPO/Israeli army/Reuters
The Israeli government has been careful not to release many details about the success of its overnight strikes against Iran — part of an effort to avoid further escalation.
Even as some details of the attack have leaked, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed government ministers not to talk to the media. Israeli government spokespeople have also been told not to engage with the press on details of the attack, and the Israeli military’s full battle damage assessment of the strikes is being kept classified.
The relatively muted nature of Israel’s public post-strike posture is intentional, a source familiar with the Israeli government’s thinking said, aimed at giving Iran the opportunity to downplay the strikes and avoid further escalation.
The Israeli government believes it was able to demonstrate to Iran that Israel’s intelligence and military capabilities can reach deep inside Iran, while still giving Iran the ability to contain the fallout, the source said.
On the eve of diplomatic meetings in Doha aimed at restarting ceasefire negotiations, some inside the Israeli government believe avoiding further escalation could open the door to a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, the source said.
Still, Iran has said it is “entitled and obligated to defend itself,” and risks looking weak if it does not respond.
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Dozens of Israeli aircraft participated in Iran strikes Saturday
From Dana Karni
A still from a video released on Saturday shows an Israeli Air Force plane, which the Israeli army said was departing to carry out strikes on Iran.
Israel Defense Forces/Reuters
Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, participated in the strikes on Iran early Saturday, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson.
The strikes landed some 1,600 kilometers (about 994 miles) from Israel, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told CNN.
He did not provide further details and would not confirm if Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace.
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4 Iranian service members killed in Israeli strikes, state media reports
From CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq
A general view of Tehran, Iran after several explosions were heard on October 26.
Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency/Reuters
Two more members of Iran’s army have died from injuries suffered during Israeli airstrikes earlier Saturday, according to state media, bringing the death toll to at least four.
The additional service members died Saturday evening local time, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news, which said all four of those killed worked for the military’s air defense.
State media also published a photo of the four fallen men in their uniforms.
Israel said it hit military targets, which did not include energy infrastructure, according to an Israeli military source. Iran has appeared to downplay the strikes overall, reporting limited damage at military sites.
Israel and Iran, two regional powerhouses, have long been enemy states, but tensions have been inflamed further by Israel’s wars against Tehran-backed militant groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
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Israeli attacks on Lebanon killed at least 19 people Friday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry
From CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike on Khiam, Lebanon, on Friday, October 25.
AFP/Getty Images
Israeli attacks killed at least 19 people in Lebanon on Friday, Lebanon’s health ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Friday’s attacks also wounded 108 people, the health ministry added.
Since Israel ramped up its strikes against Hezbollah on September 16, at least 1,972 people have been killed and 10,042 injured, according to a CNN tally of health ministry figures.
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Biden reacts to Israeli strikes on Iran: "My hope is that this is the end"
From CNN's Betsy Klein
US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters in Philadelphia on October 26.
Craig Hudson/Reuters
US President Joe Biden expressed hope Saturday that the Israeli strikes on Iran marks the end of a period of escalation in the Middle East.
“It looks like they didn’t hit anything other than military targets. My hope is this is the end,” he told reporters in Philadelphia, noting that he spent time earlier Saturday being briefed by the intelligence community.
The president said he did receive a heads up ahead of the Israeli strikes. Biden administration officials have said the US was not directly involved with the strike, but had been consulting closely with Israel.
Biden also said he was “not surprised” that former President Donald Trump has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but acknowledged he was concerned that Trump was not representing the US in those conversations.
Security briefing: Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined a call Saturday with their national security team and were both briefed on the the latest developments in the Middle East following the strikes, according to the White House.
“Biden directed that every effort be taken to protect our forces and help defend Israel against any potential responses from Iran and its proxies,” the White House said in a statement.
CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg contributed reporting to this post.
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Days-long Israeli raid on Gaza hospital is over, but came at "heavy cost," WHO chief says
From CNN's Benjamin Brown and Catherine Nicholls
Damage is seen at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, Gaza on October 26.
AFP/Getty Images
A raid by Israeli forces on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza ended Saturday, but came “at a heavy cost,” according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization.
An estimated 44 male health care workers were detained at the hospital in Beit Lahiya on Friday night, Tedros said in a statement posted on X. That has left only female staff, the hospital director and one male doctor to care for “nearly 200 patients in desperate need of medical attention.”
The director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, tells CNN his son was killed by Israeli shelling at the medical center’s entrance. He had been approaching to see if the Israeli military had withdrawn, Safiya said.
Tedros described the situation in northern Gaza as “catastrophic,” and admonished “deplorable” reports that hospital facilities and medical supplies were damaged or destroyed in the raid.
After days of laying siege to Kamal Adwan, the Israeli military twice entered the hospital compound over 24 hours and opened fire at parts of the complex, the Gaza health ministry and Safiya told CNN on Friday.
There were around 600 people inside the hospital Friday night, Tedros said, including patients, hospital staff and others seeking refuge. At least four staff members were injured, he added.
“The whole health system in Gaza has been under attack for over a year,” Tedros said in his statement Saturday. “WHO cannot stress loudly enough that hospitals must be shielded from conflict at all times.”
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European leaders call for restraint after Israel strikes Iran
From CNN’s Sophie Tanno, Niamh Kennedy and Benjamin Brown
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a cabinet meeting on September 4 in Berlin.
Maryam Majd/Getty Images/File
European leaders are urging restraint after a wave of retaliatory Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military sites.
France: The French foreign ministry cautioned against any further escalation, writing in a statement: “France has learned of Israel’s announcement of strikes against military targets in Iran last night … France immediately urges the parties to refrain from any escalation or action likely to aggravate the context of the extreme tension prevailing in the region.”
Switzerland: The country’s foreign ministry wrote in a statement on X: “Switzerland condemns the dangerous escalation of violence in the Middle East, including today’s Israel airstrikes in Iran.
“Hostilities must cease on all sides to avoid the worsening of the regional escalation.”
Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that Israel had said they “tried to minimize personal injury” during the attacks, adding that “this provides an opportunity to avoid further escalation.”
“My message to Iran is clear: Massive reactions of escalation must not continue. This must end now. Then there will be an opportunity for peaceful development in the Middle East,” Scholz continued in a post on X.
Iran has said Israel’s strikes early Saturday caused “limited damage” although two soldiers were killed. The strikes have long been expected and come as Israel mounts a major operation in northern Gaza and against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
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Analysis: The ball is in Iran's court after US pressure pays off
As the dust settles in Iran, early indications are US diplomacy has, for now, headed off fears of tit-for-tat retaliation. A regional source speaking on condition of anonymity, who quickly and accurately predicted Iran wouldn’t respond to Israel’s last strike on the country in April, tells CNN Iran will “contain” this strike, too.
Israelis are divided over the mission, which could make follow-up strikes safer but didn’t hit Iran’s nuclear or oil sites. Where they agree is that the dialing down of the target list is a result of US pressure.
Since Iran’s ballistic missile barrage striking Israeli military targets almost a month ago, US President Joe Biden had called for a “proportional” response. If Biden’s intervention has paid off, it is perhaps the clearest indicator in over a year of war that the White House maintains some influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This comes following a mostly futile — or at best very limited — success in convincing Netanyahu to ease the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, where over 42,000 have been killed as the Israeli military wages war against Hamas.
It is no secret Netanyahu prefers former President Donald Trump, an Iran hawk, over Vice President Kamala Harris in the coming election.
How the Israeli prime minister plans to prosecute and eventually land his deadly conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran could depend on what he hears from the White House. What we may have witnessed last night is a place-holding strike by Netanyahu.
The ball for now, though, is firmly in Iran’s court.
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Gaza hospital director says his son was killed in Israeli shelling
From CNN’s Abeer Salman, Eyad Kourdi and Ibrahim Dahman
Damaged ambulances are seen at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, Gaza on October 26.
AFP/Getty Images
The director of a besieged hospital in northern Gaza said that his 21-year-old son was killed by Israeli shelling on the facility on Saturday.
Ibrahim, the son of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was killed at the entrance of the Kamal Adwan Hospital when he was approaching to see if the Israeli army had withdrawn, his father said.
His son was volunteering to help treat the wounded after a shortage in medical staff at the hospital, Abu Safiya said.
“He was with me around the clock in the intensive care unit and other departments,” he added.
The hospital has been besieged by the Israeli military, which has alleged that “terrorists” were present in the area. The facility was subject to a series of raids on Friday where Abu Safiya said he was detained and interrogated by the Israel Defense Forces over unidentified wounded patients being treated in the hospital.
“The soldier beat me and insulted me in front of the medical staff,” the doctor alleged.
The hospital director said that, along with an assistant, he’s the last remaining doctor in the hospital. Several patients require surgeries but without a team, the overwhelmed doctor does not “know what to do.”
“It’s just me and one assistant, and I am overwhelmed by cases that mostly involve amputations and burns,” he said.
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US will focus on preventing escalation after Israel's strikes on Iran, defense secretary says
From CNN's Mina Allen
US Defense Secretary Llyod Austin said the US is focused on preventing continued escalation in the Middle East after Israel’s strikes on Iran early Saturday.
Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant following the attack, and said in a Saturday post on X that the US military continues to have an enhanced presence in the region.
Some context: Analysts say the nature of Saturday’s strikes — which Israel said hit military sites, and did not target Iran’s energy infrastructure, according to an Israeli military source — indicates that a US pressure campaign to limit the scope of the Israeli attack may have been successful.
World leaders have been urging the two sides to avoid a wider regional war.
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Analysis: The US is urging an end to direct Israel-Iran fire. Experts say it's too soon to tell
Analysis from CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim
After Israel’s attack on Iran Saturday, US officials were quick to caution both countries against perpetuating the cycle of violence, but analysts say lasting de-escalation is not a foregone conclusion.
Iran appeared to have downplayed the Israeli strike, Iranian experts said. State media broadcast images showing calm on the streets of Tehran, with traffic moving and people going about their daily business.
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington, DC, said Iran’s downplayed response may be “more reflective of their desire to de-escalate than a true assessment of the damage Israel inflicted on Iran,” like Israel’s attempts to hide damage caused by Iran’s October 1 attack.
“The ball is now in the Iranian leadership’s court,” said Danny Citrinowicz, a research fellow with the Iran Program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv and a retired Israel Defense Intelligence officer who specialized in Iran.
However, “Iran will not be deterred from escalating in the future if it so sees fit, neither would Israel,” H.A. Hellyer, scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in London, told CNN’s Paula Newton, adding that deterrence is often used as an excuse by the attacking state, but only leads to more regional instability.
Hezbollah rocket barrage sparks wildfires in northern Israel
From Eugenia Yosef and Eyad Kourdi
Wildfires broke out in the Hula Valley of northern Israel after rockets fell in open areas, the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority said.
Hezbollah said it fired five rocket barrages into Safed and Haifa in northern Israel on Saturday.
Eight firefighting teams from the Galilee-Golan station were actively working to contain the fires and prevent their spread to nearby agricultural lands and a nature reserve, according to a statement from the Fire and Rescue Authority. The teams are focused on controlling multiple fire sites sparked by missiles that landed in the region, it said.
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Israel's response to Iran shows US can influence Tel Aviv "when it wants to," analyst says
From CNN's Catherine Nicholls
Israel’s highly calculated response to Iran Saturday shows that the United States can influence Israel’s actions in the region “when it wants to,” geopolitical analyst H. A. Hellyer told CNN.
A senior US administration official said that US President Joe Biden “encouraged” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to “design” a retaliatory attack against Iran that would “deter future attacks against Israel.”
The US also advised Israel against any actions that could escalate tensions in the Middle East more widely, Hellyer, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in London, said.
“I think that the engagement of the US in this regard was significant, but frankly, it also shows when the US wants to push Israel to modify its behavior, it can do so,” he continued. “And as of yet, what we’ve seen is really unbridled for Israel in terms of the war in Gaza and that sort of pressure (could) be welcomed there.”
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Arab states’ condemnation of Israeli strikes on Iran reflect deep concerns over escalation
From CNN's Mostafa Salem
A host of Arab states have condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran in a sign of concerns over further regional escalation.
Without mentioning Israel by name, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) foreign ministry “expressed deep concern” over the continued escalation.
Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse and a historic foe of Iran, also did not mention Israel but condemned the “military targeting” of Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and contravention of international law, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Qatar and Kuwait separately condemned the Israeli strikes and Egypt expressed deep concern over regional escalation.
Diplomacy at work: US-allied Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of the world’s top oil producers, have in recent years steered their foreign policies away from conflict to serve their economic interests. This has seen them repair ties with former adversaries like Iran.
Countries across the Middle East who historically viewed Iran as their primary regional adversary opted to engage the Islamic Republic in intensive diplomacy ahead of the Israeli strikes.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi traveled across the Middle East over the past month for meetings with regional leaders. Days before the Israeli strike, Aragchi claimed that he received assurances from several countries that their airspaces would not be used by Israel for the strike.
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Israel launched strikes on Iran in a retaliatory attack. Here’s what we know
From CNN's Helen Regan and CNN staff
A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard, in Tehran, Iran, on October 26, 2024.
Majid Asgaripour/Wana News Agency/Reuters
Israel said on Saturday it had struck military targets inside Iran in a wave of retaliatory attacks, targeting Iranian missile manufacturing sites in what appeared to be a highly calculated response that avoided critical energy infrastructure, such as nuclear facilities.
The strikes have long been expected, and come as Israel mounts a major operation in northern Gaza and against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Here’s what we know:
Waves of strikes: Several explosions were heard west of Tehran around 2:15 a.m. local time (7 p.m. ET Friday), according to Iran’s state news agency. The initial strikes were closely followed by a second wave, as video posted to social media by Tehran residents showed tracer fire and explosions illuminating the Iranian capital’s sky as dawn neared. A third and final wave then followed.
Strikes “concluded”: Israel says the attack is now over. “We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran – thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel,” the Israeli military said in a statement. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned that if Iran were to begin “a new round of escalation,” Israel will be “obligated to respond.” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Israel “could and should have exacted a much heavier price from Iran.”
Iran “entitled” to defend itself: Following the strikes, Iran’s foreign ministry said it “considers itself entitled and obligated to defend itself.” The ministry condemned Israel’s attacks in a statement, calling the action a “clear violation” of international law.
Damage limited: Still, Iran also appeared to downplay the impact of the attack, claiming its air defenses had successfully countered the strikes in three provinces – Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan – and that the damage was “limited.” The Iranian army said Saturday morning that two soldiers were killed in the strikes, without clarifying where the deaths happened. The extent of the damege is not yet clear.
Calculated response: The US described the attack as “an exercise in self-defense” that “specifically avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets.” Meanwhile, a senior US administration official said US President Joe Biden encouraged Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call last week to “design” a retaliatory attack against Iran that would “deter future attacks against Israel.”
How we got here: Israel had vowed Iran would pay for its large-scale missile attack on October 1 that saw around 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel. Iran said the attack was in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others and came soon after Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon.
Israeli forces detain male staff at besieged northern Gaza hospital, health ministry says
From CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman and Eyad Kourdi
An empty operating room is seen in Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, Gaza on October 24.
AFP/Getty Images
Israeli forces have detained male medical staff at the besieged Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, the enclave’s health ministry said.
Israeli forces entered the hospital on Friday and opened fire at parts of the facility, medical authorities said, who warned the hospital is running low on supplies and in desperate need of aid.
In its latest statement, the health ministry also said that women in the hospital were confined in a room without access to water or food.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus said on Friday that the WHO had lost touch with Kamal Adwan Hospital staff, calling the development “disturbing.”
On the same day, the United Nations’ human rights chief Volker Türk warned that “one of the darkest moments of the Gaza conflict” was taking place in the north of the Strip, which he suggested could amount to “crimes against humanity.”
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment but was unable to receive an immediate response.
In a statement on Friday, the Israeli military said that the IDF forces were operating around Kamal Adwan Hospital “based on intelligence information regarding the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure.”
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Iran says it is “entitled” to defend itself following Israeli strikes
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem and Eyad Kourdi
Iran’s foreign ministry says it “considers itself entitled and obligated to defend itself” after Israel hit military sites overnight in a wave of retaliatory strikes.
The ministry condemned Israel’s attacks in a statement, calling the action a “clear violation” of international law.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the use of all the material and spiritual capabilities of the Iranian nation to defend its security and vital interests, as well as standing by its duties toward regional peace and security,” the statement said.
Mixed signals: In an earlier statement Saturday, Iran appeared to downplay the impact of the attack, claiming its air defenses had successfully countered the strikes in three provinces – Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan – and that the damage was “limited.”
The Israeli military has said that it was deliberate in only choosing to target Iranian military facilities, avoiding oil fields and nuclear assets.
The effect of the strikes, a US official told CNN, was to both “deter future attacks and also to degrade the capabilities of Iran being able to conduct those types of activities.”
This post has been updated.
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Risk remains of fresh escalation between Israel and Iran before new US president enters White House, Iranian journalist says
From CNN's Catherine Nicholls
Abas Aslani speaks to CNN.
CNN
There is a risk that the tensions between Israel and Iran could re-escalate by the time a new US president enters the White House, Abas Aslani, an Iranian journalist and researcher based in Tehran, told CNN Saturday.
Israel’s strike on Iran was more limited in scope than many feared, Aslani told CNN’s Paula Newton, which could mean that “maybe for some short time, we might be able to avoid a full-scale war in the region.”
“By the time that I think we have an official president in the White House, I think there are the chances of renewed conflict between the two sides,” the researcher continued.
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Israel should have gone further with Iran strikes, Israeli opposition leader says
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef and Catherine Nicholls
Israel should have conducted strikes on a wider range of targets in Iran, the Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Saturday.
Though Israel’s military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that the strikes targeting Iran were conducted on military targets, Lapid said in a post on X that Israel’s decision “not to attack strategic and economic targets in Iran was wrong.”
Lapid said that the strikes sent the message that “the IDF is strong and can attack powerfully and reach anywhere,” but added that “we could and should have exacted a much heavier price from Iran.”
“Iran is the head of the axis of evil, and must pay a heavy price for its aggression,” he continued.
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Two soldiers killed in Israeli strikes, Iranian army says
From CNN's Mostafa Salem
Two Iranian soldiers were killed in the Israeli strikes on Saturday morning, the Iranian army said.
Without clarifying where the deaths happened, the statement published on state media said that the soldiers were killed “confronting the projectiles of the criminal Zionist entity,” a reference to Israel.
Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran targeted its air defense systems and missile production facilities in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
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Iran’s downplay of attack a tactic to keep US "handcuffs" on Israel, political expert says
From CNN’s Chris Lau
Iran appears to have downplayed the Israeli strike, an Iranian politics expert said, calling it a strategic move to save face and keep US constraint on Israel.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense for Democracies, noted Iranian official media had been playing down the extent of the Saturday strike, staying away from reporting on damage.
“This could be designed to allow the regime to save face internally,” he said.
Taleblu suggested Iran’s measured response could put pressure on the US to influence Israel not to escalate action.
“(The move is) to try to be able to weaponize that non-response as a part of a larger kind of Iranian tango, if you will, against Washington and make sure that ultimately, Washington is going to put restraining handcuffs on Israel,” he added.
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Limited scope of Israeli strikes proof of US influence, former Israel PM aide says
From CNN’s Chris Lau
The measured scope of Israel’s retaliation against Iran was a rare show of Washington’s influence over recent Middle East conflict, an advisor to a former Israeli prime minister said.
US officials had in recent weeks made clear they did not want Israel to target Iranian nuclear sites or oil fields.
On Saturday, Israel said it strictly targeted Iran’s missile manufacturing sites and aerial defense systems, in its attack in response to Tehran’s previous ballistic missile barrages.
“Finally, for a moment, this logic prevails and … the American influence finally had some effect because Israel really went [for] the most measured operation that one can expect,” Gideon Levy, ex-aide to former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, told CNN on Saturday.
Levy, also a columnist at the newspaper Haaretz, noted that it had become rare for Israel to heed US advice over the past year during it wars in Gaza and Lebanon, calling its latest strike against Iran a “fair retaliation.”
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Iran may think twice before striking back, expert says
From CNN’s Chris Lau
Malcolm Davis, senior analyst at the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, speaks with CNN.
CNN
Israel’s strike on Saturday is embarrassing for Iran but Tehran may yet refrain from a forceful retaliation, a defense expert said.
Malcolm Davis, senior analyst at the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, said that while Israel had kept its attack “limited” and “precise,” it was “certainly embarrassing” for Iran.
Israel could also target members of Tehran’s leadership, he added.
Israel’s strikes avoiding civilian infrastructure and power facilities on Saturday has left Iranians “mostly relieved,” Iran-born writer Arash Azizi said.
The author of “What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom” told CNN he had spoken to several sources after the attack and noted that most people’s fears had not been realized.
He said Israel stopped short of attacking oil refineries, power infrastructure, and water facilities. Nor did it target political or military officials.
“I have spoken to several sort of sources in Tehran in the last few hours and I think they are mostly relieved,” he said.
“There are those who think Israel may escalate later but I think … their consensus is they don’t want to broaden the conflicts, like the White House,” he said.
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Iraqi airspace reopens
From CNN’s Aqeel Najim
Iraq has reopened its airspace, the national transport ministry said, following an earlier closure prompted by security concerns.
The airspace was closed for about four hours after a similar decision by neighboring Iran’s civil aviation authority.
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Hard for Biden administration to predict if tit-for-tat military exchanges end here, experts say
From CNN’s Chris Lau
Despite the Biden administration’s confidence that direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran would subside after Saturday’s strikes, some experts are watching with caution.
“This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” a senior US administration official said after the strikes.
But Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said it remains “hard for any administration to be completely confident” on how US adversaries and allies are going to react.
He said how Tehran would respond might be gleaned from statements yet to come, though he said apparent back-channel efforts could help establish a clearer understanding between the belligerents.
Satellite photography expected to come out of the region could also provide a better assessment of the situation, Tabler added.
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, cautioned that if Iranian casualties are found to include senior officials, Iran might feel more forced to respond.
“We’re still on an escalatory trajectory, and they will continue to be that way unless the slaughter in Gaza and in Lebanon ends,” he said, referring to Israeli military actions in those places.
“If it doesn’t, we are likely going to see another round of fire between Iran and Israel in a couple of weeks, perhaps in a couple of months, and unfortunately that one is likely to be more fierce than this last exchange,” Parsi added.
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Saudi Arabia condemns “military targeting” of Iran: state media
From CNN’s Alex Stambaugh
Saudi Arabia condemned the “military targeting” of Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and contravention of international law, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Without directly referencing Israel, the Kingdom urged all parties to exercise “maximum restraint” and called on the international community to take action toward de-escalating tensions and ending the regional conflict.
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Biden "encouraged" Netanyahu to design retaliation against Iran that would deter future attacks, senior US official says
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden talks briefly with reporters as he departs the White House on October 24, 2024.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/File
US President Joe Biden “encouraged” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call last week to “design” a retaliatory attack against Iran that would “deter future attacks against Israel,” a senior US administration official said.
American officials had expected Israel to retaliate against Iran before November 5, a timeline that would thrust the growing volatility in the Middle East squarely into public view within days of the American presidential election.
Biden called Netanyahu on his way to Germany on October 17 to discuss the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Iran’s state media broadcast images of peaceful streets in at least four cities Saturday as day broke following Israel’s overnight attack on military facilities in three Iranian provinces.
Cities across the country, including the capital Tehran, remained calm and “normal,” according to a broadcast by state news agency IRNA.
Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran targeted its air defense systems and missile production facilities, the Israeli military’s top spokesperson said Saturday, following confirmation that the strikes had ended.
Iran said the attack on “military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam” caused “limited damage.”
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How Iran responded to Israel’s attack
By CNN's Helen Regan
Iran has said Israel’s strikes early Saturday caused “limited damage,” and claimed the attack was “successfully intercepted,” Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
Iran confirms military targets: Iran said Israel targeted military facilities across the country Saturday morning, according to IRNA. Israel “attacked parts of military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam,” IRNA said. The Israeli military’s top spokesman separately said the strikes targeted included facilities involved in missile production.
Iran has not said exactly which sites were targeted and the extent of the damage is not clear.
Attack ‘intercepted’: Iran said the attack was “successfully intercepted and countered” by its “integrated air defense system.” Iranian officials earlier said air defenses were deployed “in several areas around Tehran and the country,” according to IRNA.
Explosions heard: Several explosions were heard west of Tehran at about 2:15 a.m. local time (7 p.m. ET Friday), IRNA reported. Iranian officials said blasts heard around the country were related to air defense systems being deployed, it said.
Closed airspace: Iran and neighbor Iraq closed their respective airspace, citing security concerns.
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White House is urging "Iran to cease its attacks on Israel," National Security Council spokesperson says
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg and Kayla Tausche
The White House urges “Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said, after Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran ended.
Israel launched direct retaliatory strikes against Iran in response to Tehran’s ballistic missile barrage earlier this month.
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Israeli military says no changes to its public orders following Iran attack
From CNN’s Eugenia Yosef and Alex Stambaugh
Israel’s top military spokesperson said there are no immediate changes to instructions for the public following the conclusion of its retaliatory attack on Iran.
“We are conducting a continuous situational assessment, and at this stage, there is no change to the Home Front Command guidelines,” Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a live briefing.
Hagari said the Israeli military is at “peak readiness, both offensively and defensively.”
The Israeli military sometimes revises these instructions on gatherings and movement amid security concerns.
In a video message shared earlier by the Israeli military, Hagari warned that if Iran were to launch “a new round of escalation,” it “will be obligated to respond.”
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Israel says it has concluded strikes on Iranian missile manufacturing sites and aerial defense systems. Here’s what we know
From CNN Staff
A general view of Tehran after several explosions were heard, in Tehran, Iran, on October 26, 2024.
Majid Asgaripour/Wana News Agency/Reuters
Daylight has broken in Iran after several hours of Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military said the strikes, which have now concluded, were in retaliation for Iran’s ballistic missile barrages on Israel earlier this month and in April.
Israel’s military has warned Iran against further escalation, saying it “reserves the right to defend its citizens,” as fears rise the long-running confrontation between the two powerful militaries could escalate into a wider regional war – potentially drawing in the United States.
The Israeli military said it struck manufacturing sites used to produce missiles that Iran has fired at Israel over the past year. It is unclear if those manufacturing facilities also produced missiles launched by Iranian proxies Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthi rebels in Yemen as tensions in the region have boiled since Israel’s invasion of Gaza more than a year ago.
Israel also said it hit Iranian air defense sites early Saturday to allow its aircraft to attack the other targets.
Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said portions of military sites in three provinces – Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan – were hit, but it said its air defenses were successful and damage was “limited.”
“Dimensions of this incident are under investigation,” IRNA said. Earlier, videos posted to social media by Tehran residents showed explosions in the sky, and tracer fire rising from the city as dawn neared.
Images broadcast by Iranian state media showed calm on the streets of Tehran, with traffic moving and people going about their daily business.
Israel’s decision to strike early Saturday morning came after weeks of deliberations within its security cabinet about the nature and scope of such an attack, Israeli officials said.
The United States pushed Israel not to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure, for fear of igniting a broader conflict, a request Israel seems to have heeded, according to preliminary reports.
“This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” a senior US administration official said after the strikes.
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Israel's strikes on Iran "very carefully prepared," senior US official says
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
Israel’s strikes on Iran were “very carefully prepared,” a senior US administration official said.
The Israeli military said it hit “precise” military targets in Iran, as Iranian state media reported several explosions. Israel’s targets in Iran did not include energy infrastructure, an Israeli military source told CNN.
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"This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran," senior US official says
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
After the Israeli military confirmed Friday that its “precise and targeted” airstrikes on military targets in Iran are over, a senior US administration official said: “This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.”
The official added that President Joe Biden was briefed “multiple times” throughout the evening by his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The president arrived back to his Wilmington, Delaware, home Friday evening just before 8:00 p.m.
The official also confirmed earlier reporting by CNN that the United States “was not a participant in this military operation.” The effect of the strikes, the official added, was to both “deter future attacks and also to degrade the capabilities of Iran being able to conduct those types of activities.”
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Israel’s attack targeted Iran’s air defense systems, missile production facilities: Israeli military spokesperson
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef and Alex Stambaugh
Video statement from the IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
IDF
Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran targeted its air defense systems and missile production facilities, the Israeli military’s top spokesperson said Saturday, following confirmation that the strikes had ended.
“Under the directive of the political leadership, we carried out precise and targeted strikes on various locations in Iran, including facilities involved in the production of missiles that Iran launched towards Israel in its attacks over the past year,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a live briefing.
“Iran attacked Israel twice, including in locations that endangered civilians, and has paid the price for it,” he added.
Hagari said the targets attacked were chosen from “a wide bank” of targets of various types. “We will know how to choose additional targets from this bank and strike them as needed,” the spokesperson said.
Iran said Israel attacked military facilities across the country Saturday morning, causing “limited damage” in some areas.
Israel “attacked parts of military centers in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam,” state news agency IRNA reported, adding that “the attack has been successfully intercepted and countered” by Iran’s “integrated air defense system.”
Iranian officials earlier said air defenses were deployed “in several areas around Tehran and the country,” according to IRNA.
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“We concluded the Israeli response to Iran,” Israeli military spokesperson says
From CNN's Alex Stambaugh
Israel’s top military spokesperson confirmed Saturday morning that the country has concluded its “response” to Iran.
“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a video message shared by the Israel Defense Forces.
Hagari warned that if Iran were to begin “a new round of escalation,” Israel will be “obligated to respond.”
“Our message is clear: All those who threaten the state of Israel and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation will pay a heavy price,” he said. “We demonstrated today that we have both the capability and the resolve to act decisively, and we are prepared on offense and defense, to defend the state of Israel and the people of Israel.”
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US Defense Secretary Austin emphasizes "enhanced force posture" to defend Israel in call with Israeli counterpart
From CNN's Haley Britzky
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on October 18.
Omar Havana/Getty Images
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant spoke about Israel’s strikes on Iranian military targets.
Austin “emphasized the enhanced force posture” of US troops to defend US personnel and Israel, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Friday evening.
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Israeli operation in Iran is over
From CNN's Alex Marquardt and Jeremy Diamond
The Israeli retaliation against Iran early Saturday morning is over after three waves of strikes, two sources familiar with the operation told CNN.
The sources spoke with CNN as the sun came up in Iran. The precise targets and the extent of the damage inflicted by Israel remain unclear.
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Netanyahu conducts "security situation assessment" from Kirya military base
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitors the attack on Iran from an undisclosed location. Parts of the image were obscured by the Israel Defense Forces.
GPO/Israeli army/Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted a “security situation assessment” from the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, according to the prime minister’s office.
Those in attendance include Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and the heads of its intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, the statement said.
Israeli military confirms strikes against Iran are over
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef
The Israeli military said it has completed “precise and targeted” airstrikes on military targets in Iran.
The Israeli Air Force struck “missile manufacturing facilities” that it said were used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at Israel over the last year. It also said the Israeli military struck “surface-to-air missile arrays and additional Iranian aerial capabilities, that were intended to restrict Israel’s aerial freedom of operation in Iran.”
