Major-General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, has said Israeli fighter jets flew through Iraq’s airspace to launch its attack on Iran.
Israel attacked military targets in Iran with predawn airstrikes in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month.
The strikes mark the first time Israel’s military would openly attack Iran since tension began amid both nations over Hamas’ attack of October 7, 2023.
Al Jazeera quoted Musavi as stating that the Israel’s air force “used airspace controlled by the US military in Iraq to launch long-range missiles from a distance of 100km [50 miles] from Iran’s borders.”
“These missiles – equipped with lightweight warheads, one-fifth the size of Iranian ballistic missile warheads – were aimed at several border radar installations in Ilam, Khuzestan, and areas around Tehran.
He said because of Iran’s air defence systems, “the damage was limited”.
“A large number of missiles were intercepted and enemy aircraft were prevented from entering the country’s airspace.”
In a post on X, the far-right Israeli national security minister said the attack on Iran is a “necessary first strike against Iran’s strategic assets”.
“This is my position and I will continue to present it in the relevant forums. We have a historic obligation to eliminate the Iranian threat to destroy Israel,” Ben-Gvir added.
Meanwhile, Iran has raised the death toll from Israel’s attack to four, saying all served in the country’s military air defence.
The state-run IRNA news agency announced the deaths Saturday night but offered no details on where the four men were stationed in the country.
