Following the massive missile attacks that struck Tel Aviv, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) declared on Friday night that they had launched Operation True Promise 3. The Iranian military said they carried out the operation in response to Israel's Operation Rising Lion, in which the Jewish nation had targeted Iran's military and nuclear infrastructures.

The Israeli attack in the early hours of Friday eliminated top military leaders of the Iranian military, which made Iran hastily pick replacements. According to a statement from the IRGC, the operation targeted “dozens of sites, military centres, and air bases of the usurping Zionist regime in the occupied territories” in retaliation for recent Israeli airstrikes, Tasnim News Agency reported.

The Iranian military stated that they delivered a “crushing, precise response” after Israeli attacks that resulted in “the martyrdom of a group of high-ranking commanders of the armed forces, prominent scientists and innocent citizens, especially children.”

Iran described the Israeli strike as an “assault and aggressive action of the bloodthirsty, child-killing terrorist Zionist regime” against “areas of Islamic Iran.” Iran stated that they conducted the operation “with reliance on divine power, the wise guidance of the Supreme Commander of the Forces and the unified demand and support of the noble Iranian nation.”

The IRGC stated that they launched the operation “with the sacred code ‘Ya Ali ibn Abi Talib’ on the blessed night of Eid al-Ghadir.” They added, “Details of this operation will be announced to the noble Iranian nation in the next statement.”

After Iran’s retaliation, the Israeli military stated, “A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel.” They added, “Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat.”

On Friday night, Iranian state media reported that Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles toward Israel, marking the start of Tehran’s response to intensive Israeli strikes. The attack followed a statement from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had vowed “severe punishment” for the attacks and said “the powerful hand of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces will not let it go.”