Israeli Military Operation in Iran; What Happened Early Saturday, November 5?

On the early morning of Saturday, November 5, 26 days after the Islamic Republic of Iran launched an attack on Israel with 181 ballistic missiles, Israel conducted a military response known as 'Days of Response.' Israel claims that its air operations targeted 'completely military' objectives in Iran from a 'target bank' prepared by the Israeli army. The attacks deliberately avoided targeting Iran's nuclear or oil sites. Reports indicate that the Israeli operation was conducted in three waves, with the first wave aimed at neutralizing Iran's radar and air defense systems, while the subsequent two waves involved F-35 fighter jets targeting specific military objectives. The Israeli army announced that following this operation, the country now enjoys 'greater freedom of action' in Iranian and regional airspace, which could imply Israel's assessment of effectively striking Iran's air defense systems. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli army, who announced the start of the air operation around 2:30 AM, stated approximately four hours later that the mission had 'concluded' and 'all aircraft returned to their bases in Israel.' He mentioned that the 'precise and targeted' operation against Iran's 'military objectives' neutralized 'immediate threats' to Israel. He also emphasized that if the Iranian regime makes a mistake and initiates a new escalation of tensions, Israel will select other targets from its 'target bank' for retaliation. According to the Israeli army, 'strategic' facilities, including ballistic missile production sites, ground-to-air missile systems, and other air capabilities of the Iranian government, were targeted to ensure Israel's air freedom. Israeli media also reported attacks on drone production sites, ballistic missile launchers, and Iran's air defense systems. The Israeli army stressed that it is currently assessing the situation following the operation, and Iran will learn of the results itself. In response, the Iranian air defense command, in its first statement early Saturday, announced that some military centers in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces were targeted by Israel, causing 'limited damage' to some of these sites, with 'the extent of the damage under investigation.' Multiple Iranian media outlets described the Israeli attacks as small and insignificant at the time of this report, emphasizing the completely normal life across Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran's 'News Network' claimed from the early hours of the attack that the Israeli operation had failed and that Iran's air defense system had effectively countered the 'desperate attempts of several drones.' Barak Ravid, an Israeli reporter for the American Axios website, cited 'three sources' who stated that Israel had warned Iranian officials hours before the operation not to respond. The Wall News reported that over a hundred Israeli F-35 fighter jets participated in the operation. The Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Chief of Staff of the Israeli army monitored their country's military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran from the operations room at the army headquarters in Tel Aviv. Benjamin Netanyahu had stated on October 1 in response to Iran's missile attack on Israel that Iran had made a 'serious mistake' and would 'pay the price.' Yoav Gallant, Israel's Minister of Defense, had repeatedly stated over the past 26 days that the country's response would be 'precise.' During his last visit to the pilots at the 'Khatserim' air base last Wednesday, he said that when operations take place in Iran, both Israel and the world will understand the extent of their preparedness. Israel's operation in Iran marks the first openly conducted military action in the history of relations between the two countries, with Israel explicitly claiming responsibility. Two previous attacks by Iran on Israel had been officially acknowledged by the Islamic Republic. The Iranian military commanders' warnings have increased simultaneously with the possibility of an Israeli retaliatory attack. Iran's attack on Israel on April 14 was a response to the killing of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the then-commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon. The second attack by Iran on Israel on October 2 was in response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas's political bureau in Tehran, and the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, and Abbas Nilforushan, Zahedi's successor, in an Israeli bombing on October 1 in Dahieh. The Israeli operation attributed to late April in response to the 313 projectiles that the Islamic Republic of Iran launched toward Israel on April 14 was not confirmed by Israel, but Mohammad Ali Jafari, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, confirmed it this week. In the late April operation, it was reported that Israel targeted the radar eye of the air defense system at the eighth fighter base in Isfahan, which was responsible for monitoring the nuclear facilities in the province, reportedly disabling it. Former Israeli military and security experts stated early Saturday on their country's television networks that the Iranian government would attack Israel again if it could, but its capacity for attacks may be limited following the Israeli operation. On the other hand, the 'News Network' of Iranian television claimed that the situation in the capital, Khuzestan, and other areas where Israel claimed operations had taken place was 'completely normal.' According to the 'News Network,' if someone in eastern Tehran was asleep during the hours of the operation attributed to Israel on Saturday morning, they would not have been awakened by any sounds. However, the same network reported that loud noises were heard but attributed them to the 'activation of air defense,' including in eastern parts of the capital. Reports from official Iranian media are accompanied by a significant number of contradictory news and denials. Meanwhile, the Center for Organized Crime Studies of the Revolutionary Guards issued a warning to Iranian citizens that 'any sending of images or news' to Persian-language media abroad, which it labeled as 'hostile and linked to Israel,' would be considered a 'crime' and would face punishment. The position of the United States: John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated that Washington urges Tehran to end its attacks on Israel to 'end this cycle of war without further escalation.' The U.S. Department of Defense also announced that Lloyd Austin emphasized Israel's right to defend itself in a conversation with his Israeli counterpart. The U.S. has stressed that it did not participate in the Israeli air operations, was aware of them in advance, and its current goal is to 'accelerate diplomacy and de-escalation in the Middle East.' CENTCOM, the U.S. Central Command, reported on Friday that a squadron of its fighter jets, usually stationed in Germany, had arrived in Israel. The U.S. had also reported days earlier the deployment of the 'THAAD' air defense system in Israel along with the dispatch of about a hundred troops. A senior U.S. official stated on Saturday that the operation conducted appears to be 'exactly' the result of requests and coordination between the U.S. and Israel, referring to President Joe Biden's explicit request in recent weeks for Israel to avoid targeting Iran's nuclear and oil facilities. Britain, in its initial reaction to the developments of early Saturday, described the Israeli operation as an action that its ally has the right to take in self-defense against previous Iranian attacks on Israel. However, Saudi Arabia condemned Israel's operation in Iran.