What we know about Israel’s attack on Iran

Israel has launched what it described arsenic “precise and targeted” airstrikes connected Iran successful retaliation for Tehran's barrage of rocket strikes against Israel earlier this month.

It's nan latest successful a bid of exchanges betwixt Israel and Iran that for months person sparked fears of an all-out location war.

But while Iran says nan strikes against subject sites killed 2 soldiers, early indications propose nan attacks were much constricted than had been feared.

Here’s what we know.

Shortly aft 02:00 section clip (23:30 BST), Iranian media reported explosions successful and astir nan capital, Tehran.

Video uploaded to societal media and verified by nan BBC showed projectiles successful nan entity complete nan city, while residents successful immoderate areas reported proceeding large booms.

Around 02:30, nan Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it was carrying retired “precise” strikes connected “military targets” successful Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant followed nan cognition from nan IDF’s bid and power centre successful Tel Aviv.

Just aft 06:00, nan IDF said nan strikes had concluded.

The White House described nan strikes arsenic an “exercise of self-defence”. A elder management charismatic said nan US had worked pinch Israel to promote a "targeted and proportional" response.

The grade of nan attacks - and nan harm caused - remains unclear astatine this stage.

The IDF said targets including rocket manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air-missiles and different subject sites had been hit.

The Iranian subject confirmed that 2 soldiers had died “while battling projectiles”.

Iranian authorities said sites successful Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces were targeted. The country’s aerial defence said it had “successfully intercepted” nan attacks, but that “some areas sustained constricted damage”.

A elder US management charismatic said nan attacks did not see Iranian lipid infrastructure aliases atomic facilities, targets President Joe Biden had urged Israel not to hit.

Syrian authorities media besides reported strikes connected subject sites successful cardinal and confederate Syria, though Israel has not confirmed striking nan country.

Iran is nan superior backer of a scope of groups crossed nan Middle East - often described arsenic proxy groups - that are dispute to Israel, including Hamas and Hezbollah, which Israel is presently astatine warfare with.

In April, Iran launched its first nonstop onslaught connected Israel, pinch astir 300 missiles and drones, successful retaliation for an Israeli aerial strike connected an Iranian embassy compound successful Syria that killed respective apical commanders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Israel responded pinch a “limited” onslaught connected a rocket defence strategy successful nan Iranian region of Isfahan.

Then, successful July, Israel killed a apical Hezbollah commandant successful an airstrike connected Beirut. The adjacent day, Hamas governmental leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed successful an detonation successful Tehran. Iran blamed Israel, though Israel did not comment.

In precocious September, Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah successful Beirut and Brig-Gen Abbas Nilforoushan, a high-ranking Iranian official.

On October 1, Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles astatine Israel, which it said was successful consequence to nan deaths of Haniyeh and Nasrallah.

• Read more: Why did Israel onslaught Iran?

Early signs bespeak this onslaught was not arsenic superior arsenic immoderate had feared.

The US outlet Axios reported that anterior to nan attacks, Israel sent Iran a connection revealing definite specifications astir nan attack, and informing Tehran not to respond.

That could beryllium a motion Israel does not want to escalate nan business further - astatine slightest for now.

“We are focused connected our warfare objectives successful nan Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for a wider location escalation,” nan IDF said successful a statement.

A elder US charismatic said "this should beryllium nan extremity of this nonstop speech of occurrence betwixt Israel and Iran.”

The consequence successful Iran, truthful far, has been limited.

A root quoted by Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency said: "Iran reserves its correct to respond to immoderate aggression and location is nary uncertainty that Israel will person a proportionate consequence to immoderate action.”

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Israel had nan correct to take sides itself, but urged each sides to “show restraint” and called for Iran not to respond.

US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said Israel’s consequence “avoided populated areas and focused solely connected subject targets, contrary to Iran's onslaught against Israel that targeted Israel's astir populous city".

But Washington’s aim, he added, is “to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions successful nan Middle East region.”

Saudi Arabia condemned nan attack, and warned against immoderate action that "threatens nan information and nan stability” of nan region.

Egypts overseas ministry echoed those concerns, saying it was “gravely concerned” by nan strikes.

Hamas described them arsenic "a flagrant usurpation of Iranian sovereignty, and an escalation that targets nan information of nan region and nan information of its peoples".