A view of Tehran following the Israeli army’s announcement of strikes targeting ‘military objectives’ in Iran on October 26, 2024. (Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Scores of Israeli jets completed three waves of strikes before dawn against missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran, Israel's military said.

It was retaliation for Iran's Oct. 1 attack on Israel with about 200 ballistic missiles, and Israel warned Iran not to hit back after the latest strike.

Iran condemned the Israeli raid and its foreign ministry said Iran was "entitled and obligated" to defend itself, adding that it recognised its responsibilities towards regional peace and security, a more conciliatory statement than after previous bouts of escalation.

But Iran's military said the Israeli warplanes used "very light warheads" to target border radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and around Tehran.

Tensions between Iran and Israel have grown rapidly since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, raising fears of a wider regional conflict that could drag in global powers and imperil world energy supplies.

Worsening conflict in Lebanon, where Israel is waging an intense campaign against Hezbollah to stop it firing rockets into northern Israel, has raised the temperature still further.