Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel on Tuesday in response to the killings of Iran-backed militant leaders, sending Israelis to shelters and prompting alarm across the region.
A short while ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards city of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa in Israel, the Israeli military said in a statement, as sirens sounded across Israel.After about an hour, the military announced there was no longer a threat and “it was decided that it is now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country”, with a “large number” of Iranian missiles intercepted.
Reports said between 150 and 200 missiles had been fired in the attack.It was Iran’s second on Israel after a missile and drone attack in April in response to a deadly Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus
Meanwhile, Iran’s military chief said the missile attack launched on Tuesday was limited to military targets, but warned of broader strikes if Israel responds.
Major General Mohammad Bagheri said Iran had targeted military infrastructure including the Mossad intelligence agency, the Nevatim Air Base, Hatzor Air Base, radar installations and groupings of Israeli tanks, despite having the option of launching a much broader attack.
We had the capability to attack the regime’s economic infrastructure, but we only targeted military bases,” he said Wednesday. He added a warning to Israel and its supporters.If the Zionist regime is not controlled and takes action against Iran, we will target all of its infrastructure,” he said.
Bagheri said the strikes against Israel were in retaliation for the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan.
Nasrallah, who led the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah for more than 30 years was killed in an Israel airstrike on his underground headquarters in Beirut on Friday. Nilforoushan, a senior commander from Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was also killed along side him, according to Iranian state media.
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Hamas political leader Haniyeh was assisinated in Tehran in July using an explosive device that had been covertly hidden in the guesthouse where he was staying, . The Iranian government and Hamas say Israel carried out the assassination. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Since the assassination of Martyr Haniyeh, we have gone through a difficult period of restraint at the repeated request of the Americans and Europeans, who asked us to hold back to establish a ceasefire in Gaza. However, after the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Commander Nilforoushan, the situation became intolerable,” Bagheri said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the “broadening conflict in the Middle East”, adding in a statement: “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”
Israeli airspace was closed with all flights diverted, a spokesman for the airport authority saidIraq, Lebanon and Jordan, which lie between Iran and Israel, closed their airspace too
Jordan said its air defences responded to missiles and drones.
US President Joe Biden ordered the military to “aid Israel’s defence” and shoot down Iranian missiles, the White House said.
While Iran-backed groups across the region had already been drawn into the Gaza war, sparked by Palestinian group Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Tehran had largely refrained from direct attacks on its regional foe.
Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s largest ever attack on the country, fueling fears of a further escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it estimated that Iran fired 180 “projectiles” at the country. It said it intercepted many of the missiles, although some landed on the ground in Israel and the occupied West Bank.
At least one person was killed and several were injured during the attack, according to the Israeli military. The extent of the damage remain on clear.
