DOHA, February 28. /TASS/. Iran's retaliatory strikes on US military bases in neighboring Arab countries are a legitimate form of self-defense and do not contradict its friendly relations with these states, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

"Our attacks on US bases in the region do not contradict our relations with the friendly states on whose territory they are located," the diplomat told the Al Jazeera TV channel.

The US and Israel have launched a military operation against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, have been hit. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, elite units of the Iranian Armed Forces) announced a large-scale retaliatory operation. There were reports of missiles and drones being launched from Iran, and air-raid alert sirens sounded in the Tel Aviv area. According to the Mehr news agency, US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also targeted. Regional countries are closing their airspace, and airlines are suspending flights.