One base, experts believe, was previously connected to Iran’s nuclear program, while the other is connected to the Iranian missile program.
At the first base, the Parchin base, the images show destroyed and damaged buildings. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes that Iran once used the base to test explosives that could trigger a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies that it has plans to develop nuclear weapons, and says its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
The country has increased the pace of uranium enrichment after the US withdrew from the nuclear agreement with the five countries of the UN Security Council and Germany.
At the other base, the Khojir base, there is also damage. Experts believe it hides an underground tunnel system with production facilities for rockets.
Rejects major damage
It is unclear how much damage the attack caused in various locations around Iran, and Iran’s military has not released any images of damage.
Iran has said only that the damage was limited, and has not confirmed that the two bases were hit. But they stated that four soldiers who worked with air defense had been killed.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the Israeli attack should not be exaggerated, nor should it be underestimated. But he did not announce any retaliatory attack.
However, President Masoud Pezeshkian did. He said that Iran is not seeking war, but that there will be an appropriate response to Israel’s attack.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the attack caused heavy damage and that Israel achieved all its objectives.
Meeting of the Security Council
In New York, it is stated that there will be a meeting of the UN Security Council on Iran on Monday, called by Iran with the support of Algeria, China and Russia.
“The actions of the Israeli regime pose a serious threat to international peace and security and destabilize an already troubled region. According to the UN Charter and international law, Iran has the right to respond to these criminal attacks,” writes Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the Security Council.
Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon rejects the Iranian complaint and calls it ridiculous to claim that Israel violated international law. He reiterates Israel’s position that it has the right to defend itself by any means necessary.
Three attack waves
Early on Saturday morning, a number of Israeli warplanes carried out three attack waves with around 200 rockets against military bases and production facilities for rockets in several places in Iran.
In Tehran and the nearby city of Karaj, five powerful explosions were heard when the attack began at dawn, and more when a new wave came at 5 o’clock. Some of the explosions were probably due to the activation of air defenses, according to Iranian TV.
The attack was in retaliation for an Iranian attack with 200 rockets against Israel on 1 October. The attack is said to have caused little damage, and no Israelis have been reported killed.
According to Iran, the attack was revenge for the murder of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the summer’s murder of Hamas’ political exile leader Ismail Haniyeh while he was Iran’s guest in Tehran.
More limited than feared
For several weeks it was unclear whether and how Israel would retaliate against the attack. The international community, including Israel’s closest ally the United States, pushed for the retaliation not to be so powerful that it could end in full-scale war in the region.
When the attack first happened on Saturday morning, it turned out to be considerably more subdued than many feared.
– I will say something I rarely say about the wars in the Middle East: It could have been worse, said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide to NRK on Saturday morning and at the same time expressed the hope that Iran refrains from further retaliatory attacks
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