West Asia crisis: Iran says flights to resume following Israeli strikes- Top updates

The Israeli military announced early Saturday (Oct 26) thatit was conducting "precise strikes" on military targets in Iran in response to what it called "the continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against Israel."

The region of West Asiahas been on edge in anticipation of Israeli retaliation for a ballistic missile barrage carried out by Iran on October1, in which around 200 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, Iran's second direct attack on the country in six months.

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Addressing the nation, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, "I would like to inform you at this late hour of the night that the Israeli Army is now precisely attacking military targets in Iran."

>Iran's air defence forces confirmed Saturday that an Israeli attack targeted several military bases in Tehran and other cities, saying it "caused limited damage."

> Following the strikes, Iran had suspendedall flights until further notice, the aviation authority announced. Later, the country's civil aviation organisation said, "Flights will return to normal from 9.00 am (5.30 GMT) on Saturday."

> According to Iranian state media,several strong explosions were heard around the capital Tehran. Semi-officialIranian media said explosions were also heard in the nearby city of Karaj.

>"The loud blasts heard around Tehran were related to the activation of the air defence system against the actions of Zionist regime which attacked three locations outside of Tehran city," Iranian state TV reported, citing officials of the Tehran province air defence.

> Earlier,Israeli military spokesperson Hagari said that Saturday's strikes were "in response to the ongoing attacks of the regime in Iran towards the State of Israel in recent months and accordance with the guidance of the political echelon."

> "The Israeli Army is fully prepared for attack and defence. We are following the developments from Iran and its proxies in the region. We are conducting a continuous assessment of the situation in the home front, and at this stage, there is no change in the instructions of the home front command," Hagari added.

> "If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we will be obligated to respond. Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of Israel and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation will pay a heavy price," Hagari further said.

> The Israeli government released the first photos of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitoring the operation.

> Reacting to Israel's strikes, the United States (US) said that the strikes were an exerciseof self-defence in response to Iran's October 1 missile attack.

> Speaking to the news agency AFP, a US official said that Washington was"informed beforehand and there is no US involvement."

> Iraq has suspended all air traffic at its airports until further notice following the Israeli strikes on Iran.

> "Due to regional tensions, Iraqi air traffic has been suspended until further notice to preserve the safety of civil aviation in Iraqi airspace," the country's transport minister said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)