Iran warns of broader Israeli response

Shafaq News/ The Iranian Army Chief of Staff, Mohammad Bagheri, announced on Sunday the destruction of two Israeli military sites during the retaliatory attack launched overnight.

Bagheri emphasized that Iran's response would escalate if Israel attempted to retaliate against the previous night's assaults.

"Our retaliation will be far-reaching if Israel chooses to respond to last night's attacks," he stated.

"We have sent a clear message to Washington through the Swiss embassy," Bagheri disclosed, "any cooperation between the United States and Israel in potential future actions would jeopardize the security of American bases, leading to reciprocal measures from Iran."

Regarding the impact of Iran's strikes, Bagheri confirmed, "Our punitive strikes achieved direct hits, exclusively targeting military installations, and destroyed two Israeli military sites."

Late on Saturday, Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles directly at Israel, marking its first direct assault.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force declared a retaliatory operation named "Truthful Promise," targeting Israeli positions in what they term "occupied Palestine."

The IRGC's statement cited the operation as a response to perceived provocations by Israel, including the attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria.

The IRGC's Aerospace Force said the "Truthful Promise" was launched to "punish the criminal Zionist regime."

Sirens blared across Israel as residents reported hearing distant explosions, likely stemming from aerial interceptions of explosive drones.

Some of the ballistic missiles from Iran targeted the "Nevatim" Air Base in the al-Naqab desert, according to reports from the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Sunday.

IRNA noted that Israeli attacking jets had taken off from "Nevatim" to conduct the assault on the Iranian embassy in Syria.

The Israeli military reported that the Iranian barrage, consisting of over 200 drones and missiles, caused minor damage to a single military facility.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's military spokesperson, revealed that Iran had launched numerous ground-to-ground missiles, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli borders. The successful interception, including cruise missiles, was described as a "strategic achievement."

"25 of the 30 cruise missiles were shot down by Israel." He added.