Iran Responds with "Restraint" to Israeli Strikes: Prioritizing Gaza Ceasefire

The Iranian Armed Forces General Staff said on the day that Iran "has the right" to respond to the earlier Israeli air strike on Iran, but Iran "prioritizes achieving a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon."

According to Iran's notification, Israeli fighter jets "violated international law" in the early morning by launching long-range air-based missiles at radars in Iran's Ilam Province, Khuzestan Province, and near the capital Tehran. Due to the timely response of Iran's air defense system, the losses and impacts on Iran were "limited and minor," with only several radar systems damaged and no soldiers killed in the attack.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran said in a statement: "Iran reserves the legitimate right to respond at an appropriate time, while prioritizing the achievement of a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon."

Reuters, AFP and other media outlets cited analysts as reporting that Iran has "downplayed" the Israeli airstrikes and responded with restraint. The report states that the Israeli military relaxed some of the security restrictions in its northern regions at night, indicating that Israel believes Iran and its allies will not immediately launch a large-scale retaliation.

According to Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Israeli Air Force jets conducted precise strikes on Iranian missile manufacturing facilities and other military targets, safely returning to Israel after completing their mission. He warned Iran not to "make a mistake," lest it "trigger a new escalation of conflict."

The Jerusalem Post reported on the same day, citing sources, that Israel had conveyed messages to Iran through multiple third parties, informing them of "which targets would be struck and which would not be," while warning Iran not to retaliate, or else Israel would respond with even larger-scale reprisals. According to The Washington Post, Israel's current strike is larger in scale than the retaliatory airstrikes against Iran last month, but efforts have been made to minimize casualties among Iranian personnel and avoid further escalation of the situation.

Some analysts believe that Israel has also shown "restraint." Beni Sapir, an expert on Iran at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, told Reuters that the current indications suggest "Israel wants to end this (air strike)" and is sending the above message to Iran, as it does not want the situation to escalate further.

As an ally of Israel, the United States previously called on Israel not to strike Iran's energy and nuclear facilities. An unnamed U.S. official told Reuters that the U.S. received notification from Israel before the airstrikes, but the U.S. did not participate in the strikes, and the targets of Israel's attacks did not include Iran's energy and nuclear facilities.

US President Joseph Biden said that the Israeli airstrikes "do not appear to have hit any non-military targets," and he hopes "this is the end."

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the day that Israel chooses targets for strikes "based on its own interests" rather than according to U.S. demands.

On the same day of the airstrike on Iran, the Israeli military bombed Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in at least deaths, including women and children.