[Jerusalem / Beirut / Dubai / Washington, 1st Reuters] – Iran announced on the 1st that it has fired ballistic missiles towards Israel. This action is said to be a retaliatory strike against the Israeli military operations targeting Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned armed group in Lebanon. The Israeli side stated that it was targeted by over 180 missile attacks and that it intercepted them using its air defense systems.
In response, the United States has expressed its full support for its ally Israel. Meanwhile, Iran warned that any attack on its territory would result in a “strong retaliation.”
Concerns over the escalation of conflict between both countries led to a temporary spike of 5% in crude oil prices, and the United Nations Security Council decided to hold a meeting on the Middle East situation on the 2nd.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in a security-related meeting, “Iran made a big mistake tonight. They will pay a price.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated that the attacks were retaliation for the killings of Islamic organization leaders by Israel and for invasions into Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. They warned that if Israel retaliated, Iran’s response would be “more devastating and catastrophic.”
According to the Iranian state news agency, three Israeli military bases were targeted. The Revolutionary Guard claimed it used the hypersonic missile “Fattah” for the first time, stating that 90% of the missiles reached their targets.
After the missile launch by Iran, alarms sounded across Israel, and citizens took refuge in bomb shelters. Loud explosions were heard in places like Jerusalem. State television captured reporters taking cover on the ground during a live broadcast.
IDF spokesman Haggari stated that most of the missiles were intercepted “by the Israel-U.S.-led defense coalition” and criticized, “Iran’s attack is a serious and dangerous escalation.”
There were also attacks in central and southern Israel, and according to IDF videos, there was significant damage to a school in Hadera in central Israel. No injuries were reported within the country, but one man was said to have died in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military announced on the 1st that Iran had launched missiles towards Israel. This photo was taken from Tyre in southern Lebanon on the same day (2024 Reuters/Aziz Taher)
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that U.S. Navy vessels fired about 12 intercept missiles at Iran’s missiles.
U.S. President Biden expressed full support for Israel, stating that the Iranian attack was “ineffective.” He also indicated a willingness to consult with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
A Reuters reporter witnessed missiles being intercepted in the airspace of neighboring Jordan. According to the Israeli military, Israel’s airspace was closed in response to the Iranian attack. The IDF later lifted the alerts and evacuation orders.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danon, stated in a statement, “As we have made clear to the international community in the past, any enemy attacking Israel must be prepared for a painful response.”
Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, condemned the attacks as a “significant escalation.” “We have made it clear that this attack will have serious consequences, and we will work with Israel to demonstrate that,” he stated.
Iran had previously attacked Israel in April in response to an attack believed to have been carried out by Israel near the Iranian embassy in Syria, but according to the U.S. Department of Defense, this current attack is about twice the scale of that one.
The Iranian military warned in a statement that if Israel conducts retaliatory strikes, the nation’s infrastructure would face “massive destruction,” threatening to target regional assets of involved allies as well.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry explained that this operation is for defensive purposes and targets only Israel’s military and security facilities.
UN Secretary-General Guterres condemned the worsening situation, emphasizing, “We must stop this situation. A ceasefire is absolutely necessary.”
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