The new Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military facilities mark a new turn in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Iran, laying bare layers of political tension, strategic calculations, and potential consequences for the broader Middle East.Well before dawn on Saturday morning, Israel confirmed that multiple precision strikes had hit key Iranian assets, including missile-manufacturing sites and anti-aircraft systems.IDF added that these attacks were done based on intelligence analytics that showed a clear and imminent threat to Israeli air platforms flying over Iran. According to Israeli officials, the attack was in direct response to the Iranian missile strikes against Israel in April and October, thus positioning the attack within the context of Israel’s right to self-defense against an ever-hostile adversary.The Israeli strikes resulted in bringing down two Iranian soldiers, with reports of further damage still coming in. The Iranian government attempted to maintain its version of dignity by labeling the day “ordinary”, according to Iran’s state-run media. Analysts observed this as part of Iran’s strategy to project their resilience in the face of the aggression by Israel, but at the same time it has shown how vulnerable Iran’s air defense and military facilities are.