Iran downplays impact of Israeli airstrikes

Tehran, Oct 26: Downplaying the impact of Israeli airstrikes that targeted its territory early Saturday, Iran accused the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of exaggerating claims about the scale of the attack.

Citing a source, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency dismissed reports suggesting that hundreds of Israeli aircraft were involved in the attack, labelling it as an attempt by Israel to exaggerate its actions.

The report further claimed that Israeli fighter jets did not enter Iranian airspace during the strikes and that the attacks inflicted only "limited damage."

"The reports alleging that 100 Israeli military planes have had a role in the strike are also complete lies, as Israel is seeking to overplay its weak attack," the agency quoted its source as saying.

The report also denied that Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) sites in Tehran were targeted in the Israeli attack.

A spokesperson for the Tehran Oil Refinery also refuted reports that the facility had been targeted by Israeli forces, affirming that the refinery is "operating normally," reported IRNA news agency.

Following the incident, Iran's air defence force released a statement condemning the strikes, accusing Israel of attempting to escalate tensions in the region.

The statement referred to Israel as a "criminal, illegitimate, and fake regime" and claimed that Iranian air defences "successfully confronted" the assault on military sites in Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces.

A section of the local media reported that although some areas suffered "limited damage," its full extent and impact remain under investigation.

The IDF announced on Saturday the successful completion of "precise and targeted strikes" against multiple military targets in Iran that posed an immediate threat to Israel.

These strikes, conducted in three waves in collaboration with the Israeli Air Force (IAF), took place early Saturday in response to a ballistic missile attack on October 1, according to the IDF.

"The IDF has fulfilled its mission. Should the Iranian regime make the mistake of initiating a new escalation, we will respond," the IDF stated, adding that IAF planes had safely returned from the operation.

The IDF reported that, based on Intelligence, the IAF targeted missile manufacturing sites in Iran used to produce the missiles fired at Israel over the past year.

These missiles posed a "direct and immediate threat" to Israeli citizens, the IDF added. Additionally, the operation struck Iranian surface-to-air missile arrays and other aerial capabilities that aimed to limit Israel's operational freedom in Iranian airspace.