Iran: Explosions heard in Tehran with Israel strikes 'ongoing'

Several loud explosions have been heard in Iran's capital Tehran and Israel has confirmed it has launched strikes on military targets.

The Israeli military said it is conducting "precise strikes" on military targets in Iran in response to what it called "the continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against Israel".

An Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) statement added: "Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond."

Middle East latest: IDF confirms airstrikes on Tehran

An Israeli official told NBC News - Sky News' US partner network - that Israel is not striking Iranian nuclear facilities or oil fields and is focusing on military targets.

"We're targeting things that might have threatened us in the past or could do in the future," the official added.

It was not immediately clear what the targets were and there has been no details of damage or casualties.

Reports in the US said the White House was warned shortly before the strikes began.

A Whitehall source told Sky News that the strikes, "on the face of it", looked to be in line with expectations given that Israel had launched strikes on "military targets" rather than the country's infrastructure or senior leaders.

And a government spokesman said: "We support Israel's right to self defence and to protect itself in line with international humanitarian law. Further escalation is in no one's interest."

Israel has been planning a response to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on 1 October - Tehran's second direct attack on Israel in six months.

Analysis:
Scale of retaliation will dictate whether Iran and Israel are on path to all-out war

Iranian authorities have warned Israel against launching an attack, saying any strike on Iran would be met with a stronger retaliation.

Syrian state TV has also said explosions have been heard in the Damascus countryside and central region.

It added that the country's air defences had "confronted hostile targets" over the capital.

The strikes happened just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived home after a tour of the Middle East.

During the visit, he and other US officials had warned any Israeli response should not further escalate the conflict in the region.

Israel and Iran have been bitter foes since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest threat, citing its leaders' calls for Israel's destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups and the country's nuclear programme.

(c) Sky News 2024: Iran: Explosions heard in Tehran with Israel strikes 'ongoing'