Israel claims that Iran carried out a massive missile attack on the nation, firing over 180 missiles in all, heightening worries of a full-scale regional conflict.
Before bombs lit up the night skies above Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, millions of Israelis hurried to shelters. Two people had minor shrapnel injuries, according to paramedics.
The US assisted in intercepting the majority of the missiles, according to the Israeli military, although there were a “small number of hits.” It issued a “consequences” warning and charged Iran with a “dangerous escalation.”
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran said that the missiles had struck their targets and that they were retaliating for the assassinations of a senior Iranian general and the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, two of their supporters.
“More than 180 missiles fired against Israel by Iran.”
The US declared that it was in consultation with Israel over a possible response, stating that it seemed the missile attack had been “defeated and ineffective.”
The secretary general of the UN denounced the “widening conflict in the Middle East” and emphasised that “this has to end.” There must be a ceasefire.
The missile assault happened a few hours after Israeli forces launched an invasion of southern Lebanon with the intention of eliminating “Hezbollah terror targets” in border villages that were deemed dangerous for people living in northern Israel.
After nearly a year of cross-border hostilities sparked by the war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel has gone on the offensive against the Iran-backed Shia Islamist political and military organisation, claiming it wants to ensure the safe return of residents of border areas displaced by Hezbollah rocket, drone, and missile attacks.
Around 19:30 local time (16:30 GMT) on Tuesday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) alerted the country to the launch of missiles from Iran, causing air raid sirens to scream throughout Israel. As soon as the missiles passed over and were intercepted by Israeli air defence systems, there were huge explosions audible in Jerusalem.
Social media users posted videos of the missiles flying over Israel and the plumes of smoke rising as they were intercepted or exploded upon landing.
After a little more than an hour, the IDF declared that individuals might depart their designated areas since they had “not detected any further aerial threats from Iran.” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, later stated in a statement that “there were other hits in Southern Israel, and a small number of hits in the centre of Israel.”
“Israel and a defensive coalition led by the United States intercepted the majority of the incoming missiles.” “Iran’s attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” he continued. There will be repercussions.
Our preparation for both offence and defence is at an all-time high. “We will respond wherever, whenever, and however we choose, in accordance with the directive of the government of Israel,” reads our prepared operations plan.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that he was “not aware of any damage to aircraft or strategic military assets in Israel.” He went on, “To put it briefly, this attack looks to have been defeated and ineffective based on what we know at this point.”
“We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case,” he said, denouncing the incident as “a significant escalation.”
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran released a statement claiming that it had struck “the heart of the occupied territories” with several ballistic missiles, as well as “sensitive security and military” sites that were not specifically named.
The strike was a reprisal for “the violation of Iran’s sovereignty and the martyrdom” of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, who was murdered in July in Tehran by an explosion that Iranian authorities claimed was caused by Israel, although Israeli officials did not make that assertion. The missile barrage was characterised in the statement as being “in line with the legitimate right of the nation to defend itself.”
Additionally, it stated that the attack was a reaction to the Israeli airstrike on Friday that killed Brig-Gen Abbas Nilforoushan, the operations commander of the IRGC’s overseas branch, the Quds Force, and Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah.
If Israel retaliated against the incident, the IRGC threatened to “be faced with subsequent crushing blows.”
Subsequently, Iranian state media reported that missiles had struck Israeli tanks in Netzarim, which is a reference to an Israeli military corridor in central Gaza, as well as gas installations in Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel, and the air bases at Nevatim, Hazterim, and Tel Nof.
About an hour had passed before a top White House official informed reporters that there were signs Iran was getting ready to launch missiles at Iran.
Then, in a video speech to Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “We are in the midst of a campaign against Iran’s axis of evil.” “Together, we shall persevere through the difficult days that lie ahead. We shall stand together. We shall battle together, and we will prevail together.
A-10 attack aircraft and three more squadrons of F-16 and F-15E fighters were scheduled to arrive in the Middle East, with one squadron having already left, according to a statement from the US military’s Central Command.
In an effort to “deter aggression,” the Pentagon had also given the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group instructions to stay in the area over the weekend.
Iran retaliated against Israel in April with over 300 drones and missiles, killing several high officers in the Iranian consulate in Syria.
Israel, the United States, other Western friends, and their Arab allies shot down nearly all of them, with just minor damage occurring to an air base in southern Israel. In retaliation, Israel fired a missile that struck an Iranian air facility.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, declared on Saturday that Hassan Nasrallah, a close buddy, would “not go unavenged.” “The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront,” he stated, without providing any further information.
Known as the “Axis of Resistance,” Iran has established a network of allied military groups throughout the Middle East that are hostile to both Israel and the United States. These include, in addition to Hezbollah, a number of Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in the Palestinian territories.
[BBC]
