Iran says 4 soldiers killed in Israeli strikes; vows to retaliate
As Israel continues to engage in a multi-front war, 45 people have been reportedly killed in its strikes in northern Gaza while Israeli air raids have been reported from Beirut’s southern suburbs
The death toll in Iran due to Israel’s strike on Saturday (October 26) has risen to four even as 45 people have been reportedly killed in bombings by Israeli forces in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. The attack in Iran has further fuelled fears of a full-blown war between the two heavily armed countries
Israel early on Saturday launched a series of “precise and targeted” strikes on military targets in Iran in retaliation to the latter’s attacks on Israeli soil over the past few months, particularly Iran’s assault on October 1 in which it fired over 200 ballistic missiles into Israel.
Israel said the targeted facilities were used to make missiles fired at it.
Iran stresses right to retaliate
Iran which claims four of its men serving in the military air defence were killed in the Israeli attack has vowed to respond to the strikes.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in a letter to United Nations’ Secretary General Antonio Gueterres and UN Security Council President Pascale Christine Baeriswyl has reportedly asserted Tehran’s right to respond to the fresh escalation by Israel.
Also read: Israel launches air strikes on Iran
According to Newsweek, the letter has been sent via Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani.
Araghchi in the letter reportedly urged the UN leaders to condemn the “Zionist regime’s unlawful and aggressive actions, which constitute a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a flagrant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, in alignment with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and under international law, reserves its inherent right to legal and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time," Araghchi said.
Israel's act violates UN Charter: Iran's foreign minister
"We strongly condemn the criminal attack on Iranian military centers as a violation of international law and the UN Charter. Four of our Army heroes sacrificed their lives in defeating this reckless and cowardly assault. We fully reserve our right to duly respond to this aggression, which cannot be separated from Israel's genocide in Gaza and bloodshed in Lebanon. The world must unite against this common threat to international peace & security," Araghchi also said in a post on X.
While the extent of the attack is unclear so far, Iranian news agencies have said that explosions have been heard in the west of Tehran and that some military bases in the west and south west of Tehran have been targeted. Iran has also not disclosed where the four slain soldiers were deployed.
The US has said that it was not involved in the attack, but has confirmed that President Joe Biden was updated when the strikes took place.
35 killed in Gaza; strikes in Lebanon
Meanwhile, at least 35 Palestinians were killed and over a dozen were injured on Saturday evening as Israeli air strikes razed several buildings in the residential areas of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera reported quoting Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Several families displaced in the war have sought refugees in shelters in the two areas of Beit Lahiya and Jabalia. However, the two city centres have been under intense attack over the past few weeks, Al Jazeera said.
Israeli forces also conducted air raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs after warning residents to vacate the neighbourhoods.
India expresses concern over conflict
India on Saturday said it was deeply concerned over the "evolving escalation" in West Asia and urged all sides to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
"Our Missions in the region are in contact with the Indian community," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
"We are deeply concerned by the evolving escalation in West Asia and its ramifications for peace and stability in the region and beyond," the MEA said.
"We reiterate our call to all concerned to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The ongoing hostilities are to nobody's benefit, even as innocent hostages and civilian populations continue to suffer," it said.
The West Asia conflict was discussed in "considerable details" during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.