Iran Accuses Israel of Using Iraqi Airspace in Retaliatory Strike
Major-General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, has alleged that Israeli fighter jets used Iraqi airspace, controlled by the U.S. military, to carry out attacks on Iranian military sites. The strikes were Israel’s response to Iran’s earlier barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Israeli areas.
The operation marks Israel’s first publicized military action against Iran since escalating tensions after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, which both countries view through opposing lenses of regional security threats.
According to Mousavi, Al Jazeera reported that Israel’s air force launched missiles from approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Iran’s borders, targeting border radar systems in Ilam, Khuzestan, and areas around Tehran. Mousavi stated that while Iran’s air defense systems limited the damage, multiple Israeli missiles reached their targets.
In a post on X, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir referred to the strike as a “necessary first strike against Iran’s strategic assets,” declaring Israel’s “historic obligation to eliminate the Iranian threat to destroy Israel.”
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported that the death toll has risen to four, all members of Iran’s military air defense. No further details on their location within Iran have been disclosed.