Israeli military says it is conducting precise strikes on military targets ...

Several loud explosions were heard in Iran's capital, Tehran, and the nearby Karaj city early on Saturday, semi-official Iranian media said.

The Israeli military said early on Saturday it was conducting "precise strikes" on military targets in Iran in response to what it called "the continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against Israel".

Iran state TV said at least six blasts were heard around the capital Tehran.

The scope of the attack was not immediately clear.

Iran's semi-official Iranian Fars news agency said several military bases in the west and south-west of Tehran had been targeted by Israel.

Iranian state media reported that strong explosions were heard around Tehran and nearby Karaj, but said life continued as normal.

The Tasnim News Agency said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases that were attacked were not damaged.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari posted a statement on X confirming the strikes.

"The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th — on seven fronts — including direct attacks from Iranian soil," he said.

"Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.

Iran state TV says it was situation 'normal' at Tehran's two airports and there has been no fires or explosions at the Tehran oil refinery.

State TV said the the origin of the explosions "could be from the activation of Iran's air defence system," citing unnamed Iranian intelligence officials 

Syrian state news agency SANA said Israel conducted an air attack on Saturday from the occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon, targeting military positions in Syria.

The agency said the attack at around 2am local time had targeted positions in central and southern Syria, citing an unnamed military source.

Syrian state TV said explosions were also heard in the Damascus countryside and central region.

SANA reported Syrian air defences intercepted "hostile targets" near Damascus early on Saturday,  as Israel said it was launching strikes in Iran. 

"Our anti-aircraft defence is confronting hostile targets in the skies around Damascus," SANA said on Telegram.

Israel has not confirmed striking Syria.

The IDF has been planning a response to a ballistic-missile barrage carried out by Iran on October 1, Tehran's second direct attack on Israel in six months.

"We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defence and in response to Iran's ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st," White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.

The White House was notified shortly before Israel carried out air strikes on Iran, Fox News reported on Friday local time.

Israeli strikes on military targets in Iran are "an exercise of self-defence" following Tehran's ballistic missile attack earlier this month, the United States said late Friday, adding it was informed ahead of the strikes.

A US defence official told AFP that Washington was "informed beforehand" and there was "no US involvement" in the strikes. 

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