live from london. this is bbc news. explosions overnight across iran as israel retaliates against hundreds of missiles fired by tehran earlier this month. if the regime in iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we would be obligated to respond. our message is clear. the us and uk call for restraint, urging iran against hitting back, in an attempt to dismantle the cycle of violence. iran should not respond. we will continue to work with allies to de—escalate the situation across the region.

hello this is bbc news. israel has launched multiple air strikes on iran in response to what the israeli military called "months of continuous attacks" from tehran and its proxies. this is the moment israeli missiles could be seen and heard heading over the iranian capital. the idf says it struck �*military targets�* in iran, which it accuses of "relentlessly attacking israel" since october the 7th 2023. it comes after tehran launched almost 200 ballistic missiles towards israel on i october, in what the country said was a retaliation for the killing of hamas's political leader on iranian soil back injuly. that is what these pictures are. they said it is in retaliation for the killing of the hamas leader. it is in the western province and they have

been —— air strikes in the western province of iran have been intercepted. they released these pictures of prime minister netanyahu. the israeli government released these pictures of prime minister benjamin netanyahu and defence minister yoav gallant following the strikes from the operation room at the israel's defence ministry in tel aviv. earlier the idf spokesman daniel hagari made this statement about the air strikes. the israel defense forces have fulfilled its mission. if the regime in iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we would be obligated to respond. our message is clear: all those who threat in the state of israel and seek to drag the region into wider escalation will pay a heavy price. we demonstrated today that we have both the capability and the resolve to act decisively, and we are prepared on offence and defence to defend the state of israel and the people of israel. ms

you are we have had plenty of international reaction, including from the uk prime minister keir starmer. speaking from samoa, he warned iran against responding to the latest strikes. i am clear that israel has the right to defend itself against iranian aggression. i am equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint. iran should not respond. we will continue to work with allies to de—escalate the situation across the region. now, that was keir starmer. earlier i spoke to our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet.

forgive me, those were the most recent pictures that we have. they were the strikes over iran. you could hear the explosions there. earlier i spoke to our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet.

iranian media now reporting the death saying that they died while confronting the projectiles fired by, as iran puts it, the zionist enemy. um, the fact that it's been quoted by tasnim, which is, as you say, semi-official, but it' regarded as being linked to the islamic revolutionary guard corps, so they wouldn't have put it out unless they were certain there was even a photograph of one of them now coming out on one of the iranian agencies. this is a big question, lewis,

because this will be be part of the damage assessment by iran. now, what sites were hit, including what israel says, that air defences were hit, missile production sites were hit, launch sites were hit. we heard from some iranian israeli sources that 20 sites were hit in from. iranian officials are denying that. they are saying this is false news, that 20 sites were hit. they said so far there's limited damage, so they will want to look at the damage. they're unlikely to reveal the full extent of it, whatever that is, and also the casualties. are they higher than these two soldiers? if there are significant casualties, this obviously ramps up the pressure domestically among the ultra conservative base of the iranian government that they or the iranian islamic guard corps and the supreme leader to retaliate. but right now, iran has a bit of room to manoeuvre

because they're saying nothing really much to see here. some of the television stations are showing pictures of the traffic flowing in those parts of the country. three parts of the country where iraq, iran, israel is said to have hit in the early hours of this morning. so it is a wait and see, as you say. and this idea of a retaliation for this, how dependent is it, do you think, on the things that you are outlining there, the amount of damage done, any death toll? or is it the fact that a strike like this has taken place at all means there has to be automatic retaliation. it's always in war. there's what happens on the ground and the narrative orthe perceptions of what happens on the ground. we still don't really know the full extent of what happened when israel attacked iran. a much more limited strike, one strike in the centre the centre of iran in april. and similarly, we still don't know the full extent of the damage that iran caused when it fired 180 ballistic missiles into israel on october the 1st. these are military secrets. any government anywhere in the world would not reveal the full extent, but iran has to carefully calibrate. it has to weigh up both the political damage as well as the actual damage on the ground. it knows that it can hide,

at least for a certain while. especially those i mean, the sites which are carefully, uh, are carefully protected beyond the eyes of any cameras. it doesn't have to reveal them, but it also has to be mindful of pressure at home, pressure from its allies. but i think also is one of the things we'll be looking at in its first assessment is how much damage was caused to our air defences. it's saying now that its air defences limited the damage, but if a lot of them were taken out, then if it attacks, it knows israel will attack again and the targeting could be much more significant and many more may get through. if the if, as if israel has succeeded in disabling some of those defences. and so israel key intelligence gathering operations right now will be trying to get the best assessment they can. yes. and americans as well. everyone will be trying to. again, it's about spinning the narrative. the narrative matters in war. you know, what's the perception in in in israel? what's the perception in iran? and if we shift now to looking at what's it is important to note that iran has two military, paramilitary is. the other one is the revolutionary guard which is involved in also an overseas activity such as activity such syria, lebanon, iraq, you name it. the iranians and —— arm is not involved in overseas activities like that.

the two remaining attacks against israel will both launched by iranian revolutionary guards are not the army. last night the two officers who were killed, they were both from the raining army are not the reverse usually —— are not the reverse usually —— a revolutionary guide and it shows that the raining army air defence system was also involved.— defence system was also involved. , ., , ., involved. the question is now about what — involved. the question is now about what the _ involved. the question is now about what the iranians - about what the iranians response would be and the afp news agency is issuing an a response saying that iran says that it has the duty to defend itself after to defend itself of course, we don't know what that may mean.— that may mean. iran, has repeatedly _ that may mean. iran, has repeatedly said _ that may mean. iran, has repeatedly said that - that may mean. iran, has repeatedly said that if. that may mean. iran, has i repeatedly said that if israel attacks iran says its territory, iran will retaliate. even last night the news agency says that they were citing informed sources that iran may retaliate. this is, i think, too early tojudge retaliate. this is, i think, too early to judge at this point. iranians already claim a victory when you look at you reading newspaper —— newspapers and listen to any state tv, they already claim —— were claiming victory and try to downplay the seriousness of the

israeli attack. for example, last night we were receiving videos and messages from different parts of iran that they were hearing explosions, they were hearing explosions, the very pitches that you were shown last night that while these pictures were surface on social media d0 post videos of tay rann. they say there was nothing going on in tehran. they were already trying to claim that iran has not won at this war and maybe that is the way out for them not to retaliate.— way out for them not to retaliate. ., . ~ ,, retaliate. the un -- rack us pressure _ retaliate. the un -- rack us pressure on _ retaliate. the un -- rack us pressure on israel _ retaliate. the un -- rack us pressure on israel is - retaliate. the un -- rack us pressure on israel is not - retaliate. the un -- rack us pressure on israel is not cityj pressure on israel is not city hit citing sites, nuclear. if we work on the assumption that us pressure has in fact informed israel's decision making process and there aren't any strikes that we are unaware of that have hit any target like that. the hope would have

been by some watching in the region that did this would have been limited enough to avoid the need for an iranians response. what is your assessment of that tactic? iranians have also said that it appears that american pressure has been successful so far, because iranians have confirmed that only military bases were targeted. at the beginning, if you recall, they were talking about targeting iranians nuclear sites and raining oil sites and that would have escalated things much further than what it is right now. here, it appears that israel have shown that it has the capability to fight is run with

this fighterjets. at capability to fight is run with this fighter jets. at the capability to fight is run with this fighterjets. at the same time, it has avoided the further escalate the conflict and that is what one can hope for so far. and that is what one can hope for so far-— for so far. we are looking at the pictures _ for so far. we are looking at the pictures that _ for so far. we are looking at the pictures that you - for so far. we are looking at i the pictures that you reference a little earlier, across iran, how quickly be a full assessment of the damage done and will it to be a case that that will be easily discoverable or discoverable or known or not? we discoverable or discoverable or known or not?— discoverable or discoverable or known or not? we cannot be sure 10096 known or not? we cannot be sure 100% because — known or not? we cannot be sure 100% because no _ known or not? we cannot be sure 10096 because no military - known or not? we cannot be sure 10096 because no military in - known or not? we cannot be sure 10096 because no military in the l 100% because no military in the world would reveal the full extent of the damage as israelis did not do it either. however, it is quite interesting what happened three days ago, because in the first round of attacks when iran launched missile strikes against israel, there were reports, the iranian foreign minister said that they were tiny iranians —— —— is really tries... just three days ago, iranians revolutionary guard member, said that those were ballistic misses unaltered ears. the full scale, it might

take a few months to see. —— these were ballistic missiles are not drained back.- are not drained back. thank ou. let's speak to nomi bar—yaacov from chatham house. she's an international negotiator and expert in diplomacy and the middle east. thank you for coming on the programme. thank you for coming on the programme-— programme. what is your reaction _ programme. what is your reaction to _ programme. what is your reaction to the _ programme. what is your reaction to the strikes? i programme. what is your | reaction to the strikes? my reaction to the strikes? my reaction is that the strikes were carried out in a manner that would allow iran to contain it and not respond in the sense that they were aimed a to humiliate iran but to show iran that israel can reach anywhere in iran and it is more of sending a message rather than carrying out the attack for any kind of serious minutes she gains. clearly, the targets

chosen are of great impacts. —— any serious military gains. this is going to have an impact not only in the middle east but also on ukraine because iran says and supplies are many trace back to russia to attack ukraine so, in that sense, it is very important for ukraine, for the us —— it supplies tries to russia. it is important to limit the supplies of drains back. they can be fairly certain that the main manufacturing site for drains would have been targeted. this really have not confirmed what sites are precisely they have targeted but they have chosen very carefully so that certain air defence capabilities would have been taken out because, of

course, that is very important. but also, the launchers of ballistic missiles and drains. it remains to be seen when israel will confirm now that it is light and it is easier to see with satellite images went to the damage is. it has also been carried out in a manner of scope that will allow iran to deny it and i think israel tried quite hard to ensure that there won't be civilian casualties or to limit civilian casualties, not to target civilian infrastructure, not to target nuclear infrastructure, not to target oil refineries or iranian leaders and i asked cg leaders. all you know, ithink it will scurried out in a manner where iran will be able to contain it and not to

retaliate.— to contain it and not to retaliate. ,, ., , retaliate. saying that, inside iran, retaliate. saying that, inside iran. what— retaliate. saying that, inside iran, what are _ retaliate. saying that, inside iran, what are the _ retaliate. saying that, inside iran, what are the different i iran, what are the different factors that will be lobbying for different causes of action now? . , for different causes of action now? ., , ., , now? iran is divided of course and there _ now? iran is divided of course and there will— now? iran is divided of course and there will be _ now? iran is divided of course and there will be those - now? iran is divided of course| and there will be those calling for action and there will be those who are cautious. generally speaking, iran is very cautious and tend to take a very long breath i like is right that usually responds in spontaneously and is from the gut and acts very impulsively, iran does not react impulsively at all. iran tends to act to do it, the proxies that are funded and trained by iran. i think we are more likely to see a response from the iranian militias in iraq, in syria, and lebanon and potentially in yemen the houthis. rather than —— | yemen the houthis. rather than —— i will be rosa surprised if a run retaliate directly.

interesting, we've had from various news agencies. —— i will be very surprised if iran retaliate directly. we have had iraq condemning the escalation in their words. qatar on the risk of destabilising the region. what do you make of international response? i think everybody _ international response? i think everybody is — international response? i think everybody is calling _ international response? i think everybody is calling for - international response? i think everybody is calling for calm i everybody is calling for calm and with must not forget that tomorrow, there is a very important summit in doha where you will have the us lease negotiations for a ceasefire talks and the egyptian lead negotiator and the qataris. this is why in gaza but you cannot civil is what is happening between israel and iran between what is happening in gaza and lebanon on —— you

cannot iran funds and runs hamas and hezbollah. the only way to the escalate tensions between israel and iran is to get to a ceasefire in gaza and in turn, and lebanon and to try to pave the way between two states in change for the organisation in israel and the rest of the arab world. i think the diplomacy is at its highest and i think tomorrow's meeting in doha is key. i also think that the us managed to exercise