Tehran, Iran - October 26, 2024

Israel has carried out political terrorism that violates all international laws to which it is a signatory, said a former U.S. diplomat following Israel's Saturday attack on Iran.

Israel said Saturday that it had completed waves of pre-dawn airstrikes on military targets in Iran in what it called a retaliatory move to recent months of attacks from Iran, with Iran reporting that it had successfully countered the Israeli assault.

Iran said that Israel's Saturday attack is a violation of international law.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Saturday that it launched "precise and targeted" air strikes on targets in several areas in Iran, including missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays, and additional Iranian aerial capabilities.

Iranian eyewitnesses said that loud explosions were heard around the country's capital Tehran early Saturday. Shortly afterward, Iranian media reported that Iran's air defense was engaged against Israeli strike attempts.

Iran's air defense headquarters successfully countered the Israeli attack, which resulted in "limited damage," Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Two Iranian soldiers were killed following the Israeli attacks, Iran's army said.

Also early on Saturday, the Syrian Defense Ministry reported that Israeli forces launched a series of airstrikes against military sites in Syria's southern and central regions.

The strikes, reportedly carried out at around 02:00 local time (2300 GMT Friday), involved missiles launched from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanese airspace.

Shotlist:
Tehran, Iran - Oct 26, 2024:
1. Various of air defense system intercepting missiles over military camp;
Tehran, Iran - Oct 26, 2024;
2. Interception of missiles seen from apartment rooftop;
FILE: Tehran, Iran - April 2, 2024
3. Various of national flags of Iran, traffic;
USA - Oct 26, 2024
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Nabeel Khoury, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Arab Center Washington DC; former U.S. diplomat:
"That's stating the obvious. The Israelis have been calling it 'self-defense,' but they have been practicing the 'self-defense' in Beirut, in the West Bank, in Gaza, in Damascus as well as in Yemen, and in Tehran itself. Prior to this latest attack, they assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh while he was in Tehran. Now when you cross borders to assassinate essentially political leaders, you are not meeting someone on the battlefield, and therefore shooting and somebody shooting back, you are assassinating them while they are in a hotel, in an apartment building, and in the capital of another country. This is clearly an act of political terrorism that violates all international laws, laws which Israel in principle had signed up to years ago.";
Beirut, Lebanon - Oct 11, 2024
5. Various of ruins of buildings, cars damaged in Israeli airstrike;
Tulkarm, West Bank - Oct 2024
6. Various of families of Israeli strike victims crying, crowd marching in group funeral procession;
Gaza Strip - Oct 20, 2024
7. Various of injured people in Kamal Adwan Hospital after Israeli bombing;
Damascus, Syria - Oct 8, 2024
8. Various of damaged residential building after Israeli attack, people;
FILE: Israel - Oct 20, 2023
9. Various of Israeli tanks, military personnel near border with Gaza;


[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV]