By Syed Zafar Mehdi
TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – The Iranian armed forces announced an increase in the death toll from two to four soldiers in the Israeli overnight airstrike, adding that Israeli fighter jets used US-controlled airspace over Iraq to launch long-range missiles at Iranian military sites.
In a follow-up and detailed statement, Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces noted that several long-range missiles with lightweight warheads were fired from about 100 kilometers (62 miles) outside Iran's borders.
These missiles were aimed at radar systems in the border provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan, as well as around the Iranian capital Tehran.
The attack began around 2.30 am local time (2300GMT), with Iranian air defense systems intercepting many missiles near Tehran, which generated loud noises.
Iran’s armed forces said that, while most of the missiles were intercepted, some did cause "limited damage."
The death toll from the attacks has since increased from two to four, all of whom were army soldiers, the statement said.
The armed forces noted that the missiles used in the attack carried lightweight warheads that were “about one-fifth the size of Iranian ballistic missile warheads.”
"Thanks to the prompt response of our national air defense, only limited damage was incurred, with a few radar systems affected," the statement said, adding that some systems were repaired immediately while others are still undergoing repairs.
The statement denounced the Israeli attack as an "illegal and unjustified action," emphasizing that a "significant number of missiles were tracked and intercepted," preventing them from entering deeper into Iranian airspace.
Iranian armed forces asserted the country's "right to take lawful and legitimate action at an appropriate time," while also emphasizing the need for a "lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon."
They accused the US of playing a "central role" in supporting Israel's "criminal actions that destabilize the region," calling it to "restrain this unlawful regime and avoid entangling itself and its allies in the quagmire created by the occupying regime."
In a statement earlier on Saturday, the White House said Israel’s strikes on Iran should end direct exchanges of fire between the two sides while warning Tehran of “consequences” in case it responds.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli airstrikes, calling them a "violation of international law" and asserting Iran’s "right to self-defense."
The ministry reaffirmed Iran’s "obligation to defend against foreign aggression" under the right of legitimate self-defense as outlined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
This direct strike on Iranian military sites follows recent Iranian missile attacks on Tel Aviv, conducted in retaliation for the deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Abbas Nilforoushan.
Iran had previously warned that any Israeli attack would be met with a "stronger response."