Israel threatens to retaliate following missile attack by Iran

Iran on Tuesday launched around 200 ballistic missiles at different regions of Israel in what is the worst attack ever carried out by Tehran on the Jewish State. Alarms warning of the danger sounded across Israel, including in the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and one person was reported as killed in the attack. There were reports of missiles hitting inhabited areas, including a building north of Tel Aviv, according to local media. The Israeli army has put the number of missiles that were fired at around 180.

This is the first time that the Iranian regime, which has taken responsibility for the attack, codenamed Operation True Promise 2 — the first operation was conducted in April — has managed to overcome Israel’s anti-aircraft defenses and hit the country’s urban centers. The strike took place shortly after the United States warned that Iran was planning to “imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement in which he vowed to retaliate. “Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it [...] The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies,” he said. The United States assisted Israel in intercepting the projectiles, and the White House on Tuesday called Iran’s attack a “significant escalation” of the conflict. Iran has extended the closure of its airspace until Thursday morning, according to the news outlet Mehr News.

Fear of an even greater reaction hangs over the region. Both Israeli and Iranian officials have warned that they will respond to any retaliatory move in this confrontation. “We will choose when to exact the price, and prove our precise and surprising attack capabilities, in accordance with the guidance of the political echelon,” assured IDF Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations stated, for its part, in a message on X: “Iran’s legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime — which involved targeting Iranian nationals and interests and infringing upon the national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran — has been duly carried out. Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue. Regional states and the Zionists’ supporters are advised to part ways with the regime.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on his X account later in the day that “Iran does not seek war, but it will respond firmly to any threat.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) first announced that Iran had launched missiles at Israel as sirens went off all over the country. IDF officials said that they would do everything possible to keep the population safe and called on citizens to follow security recommendations, which were shared via social media and text messages.

“You are asked to be vigilant and act exactly according to the instructions of the Home Front Command,” said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari. “When an alarm sounds, you must enter the protected area and wait there until further instructions,” he added without specifying possible targets of the attack. Israeli authorities announced early on Tuesday the closure of Israel’s airspace, which was reopened after the Iranian attack.

Shortly before the attack, a senior U.S. official warned that Iran was preparing to launch ballistic missiles against Israel, adding that there would be “serious consequences” if that were to happen. This attack represents a qualitative leap in the escalation of the war in the Middle East that began on October 7, 2023.

The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was actively supporting Israel’s defense preparations, a day after Israel began a “limited” invasion of southern Lebanon with the stated aim of destroying infrastructure that the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia uses to attack northern Israel.

The attack on Tuesday exceeds Iran’s offensive of April 12-13, when it launched more than 200 drones and cruise missiles at Israel in retaliation for the bombing of a consular compound in Damascus. That unprecedented assault left no casualties and caused limited damage: most of the missiles were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition.

According to Axios, citing a Western source, this time Iran planned to use ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel in 12 minutes, a goal it apparently met given the speed of the impacts. Six months ago, it used cruise missiles, which are slower and give the country under attack more time to intercept them.

Immediately after Israel announced its invasion of southern Lebanon, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that he had held talks with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, and that they both agreed on the need to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure. Austin also confirmed Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security, and warned Tehran against any direct attack on its ally. Tensions in the region are at their highest point since the war in Gaza began a year ago.

“The Secretary and Minister Gallant discussed the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

As a deterrent to a possible attack, the United States announced that several thousand more soldiers would be sent to the Middle East to reinforce the troops already stationed there. The decision brings the number of U.S. soldiers deployed in the region to around 43,000. The Pentagon will also double the number of F-16, F-15 and F-22 fighter planes it has in the Middle East. In addition, the aircraft carrier Harry Truman is on route towards the Mediterranean, while the Abraham Lincoln has extended its mission in the Gulf of Oman by one month.

Israel on high alert

In a videotaped statement posted shortly before Iran’s attack, Netanyahu said that Israel faces “serious challenges” in confronting Iran, but made no specific mention of a possible airstrike.

Hagari had also warned that “Iranian fire on Israel will bring consequences.” Gallant and the head of the IDF, General Halevi, are in any case closely following the developments, according to ministry sources.

Following the escalation, the U.S. Embassy in Israel issued a “high-level alert” to its employees in Israel and the Palestinian territories, urging them to return home and be prepared to enter a bomb shelter. The order is similar to the one issued in April.

The threat of an even greater Iranian response against Israel is looming over the region. Both Israeli and Iranian officials have warned that they will retaliate against any acts of reprisal in this ongoing conflict, particularly after Israel’s military invasion of Lebanon.

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