Iran launches its biggest attack against Israel, firing nearly 200 missiles
The crisis in the Middle East has deepened following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and Tehran’s response. Alarm bells are ringing throughout the region as Iranian rockets hit inhabited areas, which has never happened before
Iran on Tuesday launched 200 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.
There were reports of missiles hitting inhabited areas, such as in a building north of Tel Aviv, according to local media, which put the number of missiles fired at around 200. This is the first time that the Iranian regime, which has claimed responsibility for the attack, 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.”
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 the population 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.
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 Shiite militia Hezbollah uses to attack northern Israel.
The attack on Tuesday exceeds Iran’s offensive 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, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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 consequence.” Gallant and the head of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), General Herzi 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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