Iran says Israel used US-controlled airspace in Iraq for strikes, warns of retaliation
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iran’s armed forces revealed that Israel used airspace controlled by the US military in Iraq to launch strikes on Iranian territory.
In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, the Iranian Armed Forces Communications Center said, “We inform the brave and honorable Iranian people that hostile Zionist aircraft, in a blatant violation of international law, used airspace provided by the American terrorist army in Iraq early this morning to launch multiple long-range, air-launched missiles from 100 kilometers away from the Iranian border.” The statement was followed by calls to Iran’s media and experts to rely solely on official sources amid circulating rumors.
The missiles, reportedly fitted with warheads one-fifth the size of Iranian ballistic warheads, targeted radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and areas near Tehran, the statement noted.
“Thanks to timely intervention by Iran’s air defense, the damage was limited; several radar systems sustained minor damage, with some already repaired and others undergoing restoration.”
Iran’s armed forces condemned the act as “illegal and illegitimate,” stating that their air defense intercepted numerous missiles and prevented hostile aircraft from entering Iranian airspace.
Iran reserved “the right to respond legally and appropriately” and reiterated its calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon to “protect innocent lives.”
Iran issued a stark warning to the United States, accusing it of supporting Israel’s destabilizing actions and urging Washington to “control this unlawful and illegitimate regime and avoid further involvement in the quagmire created by this occupying regime,” pointing out that continued escalation could increase insecurity in the region, leading to further loss of innocent lives, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon.
Earlier today, Israel struck Iran in retaliation for a previous Iranian attack.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X, “The IDF is currently conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran in response to the ongoing attacks by the Iranian regime against Israel over recent months.”
According to Israeli media outlets, the strikes involved three waves, targeting missile factories and military facilities.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that preliminary investigations pointed to Israeli strikes on military bases in western and southwestern Tehran, with some defense system sounds detected during the attack.
