Iran attacks Israel: Live updates

Iran has no plans to continue its military operation against Israel, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, says. However, he warned West Jerusalem that if it takes any further offensive actions against Tehran, they would be met with a “much more extensive” response.

The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Hossein Salami, claimed that Tehran’s attack on Israel was even more successful than previously believed.

“Up to this moment, our information on all the hits is not complete, but the part of the hits that we have accurate… reports about shows… that this operation happened with more success than expected,” he said, as quoted by the IRNA news agency.

He added that the “Zionist authorities and the terrorist army” as well as the US, Israel’s ally, “have recognized the devastating effects of these strikes better than we did.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Israel has successfully repelled the Iranian drone and missile strikes. “We have stopped them… Together we will win,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not support an Israeli counterattack against Iran in retaliation for the massive missile and drone strikes, Axis reported, citing unnamed US officials.

The US is said to be extremely concerned that an Israeli response could trigger a major war with “catastrophic consequences.” In light of this, Biden advised Netanyahu to “take the win,” according to an Axios source.

The Israeli prime minister reportedly told Biden that he understands the US stance on retaliatory strikes.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has conducted airstrikes on military sites belonging to Iranian-linked Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces, a special unit whose primary mission is to infiltrate Israeli territory, in the Jbaa area of southern Lebanon.

Israeli fighter jets also struck Hezbollah military sites in the Khiam and Kfarkela areas in the same region, the IDF added, sharing a video of the raids.

Israel has reopened its airspace after being closed for seven hours due to the Iranian attack, according to the country’s Airports Authority. It added, however, that some flight schedules are subject to change.

The Pentagon has confirmed that US military forces in the Middle East intercepted “dozens” of drones and missiles “en route to Israel” launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen on Saturday.

“Our forces remain postured to protect US troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel’s defense, and enhance regional stability,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

He urged Iran to “immediately halt any further attacks,” adding that while the US is not seeking a direct confrontation with Iran, it will not “hesitate to act” in the event of a potential threat to US military forces or in support for Israeli defense.

READ MORE: US helped Israel take down ‘nearly all’ Iranian drones and missiles – Biden

President Joe Biden has praised the US military and American servicemembers for helping the IDF to deflect what he called an “unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel."

”At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,” Biden said in a statement published by the White House.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the Islamic Republic “will not hesitate to take more defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests against any aggressive military actions and illegal use of force,” referring to the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria.

Citing the goals and principles of the UN charter, Tehran reaffirmed “its determination to forcefully defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests against any unlawful use of force and aggressions,” the ministry added as cited by semi-government IRNA news agency.

US President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a meeting with his national security team, but the details of the discussions have not been disclosed.