Analyst: Iran withstands initial strikes, launches retaliatory attacks

Iran has withstood the first wave of the U.S. and Israeli strikes and has launched retaliatory attacks, Iran specialist Vardan Voskanyan says as tensions escalate across the Middle East.

Iranian sources reported a new wave of missile strikes on Israel, Voskanyan said in a social media post.

He added that American infrastructure across much of the Persian Gulf region, with the exception of Oman, has already been targeted.

“Based on the information available at this point, it is clear that Iran endured the initial waves of attacks and was able to carry out retaliatory strikes,” Voskanyan said. “The entire Middle East has regrettably turned into a single war zone, which carries extremely grave consequences for all regional countries.”

In a telephone interview with Iranian state TV, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani described the attack as a “gross violation” of international norms and laws and said Iran would defend itself using its full capabilities.

Kanaani characterized the ongoing military operations as a “patriotic war” for Iran.