Iran says has ‘duty’ to defend itself, after Israeli strikes

Iran said it was obliged to defend itself, after Israeli retaliatory strikes hit military targets and killed two soldiers in the Islamic Republic on Saturday.

“Iran has the right and the duty to defend itself against foreign acts of aggression,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, citing Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

Israel bombed military targets in Iran on Saturday, killing at least two soldiers, fulfilling a vow to avenge a missile barrage and stirring fears of a full-scale Middle East war.

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Israel warned Iran would “pay a heavy price” if it responded to the strikes, and the United States and Britain both demanded Tehran not escalate the conflict further.

Confirming the strikes after explosions and anti-aircraft fire echoed around Tehran, the Israel military said it had hit Iranian missile factories and military facilities in several regions.

The “retaliatory strike has been completed and the mission was fulfilled,” while Israeli aircraft “returned safely,” a military spokesman added.

Iran confirmed an Israeli attack had targeted military sites in Tehran province around the capital and other parts of the country, saying the raids caused “limited damage” but killed two soldiers.

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