Iran on Tuesday launched a ballistic missile assault on Israel in retaliation for its current killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian commander in Lebanon.
The assault got here on the heels of Israel‘s deployment of floor forces into south Lebanon, escalating its offensive on Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.
A lot of the almost 200 missiles have been intercepted by Israeli and U.S. defenses, and there have been no identified fatalities in Israel from the assault.
“In response to the martyrdom of Martyr Haniyeh, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Martyr Nilforoushan, we have targeted the heart of the occupied territories,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard mentioned in a press release after missiles started showing within the skies over Israel.
“Should the Zionist regime respond to Iran’s operation, it will face crushing attack,” mentioned the group, Iran’s paramilitary group.
Abbas Nilforoushan was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard deputy commander, who was killed with Nasrallah in a bombing by Israel final Friday in Beirut.
Ismail Haniyeh was the political commander of the Hamas terror group, who was killed in July by an Israeli strike on Tehran, the capital of Iran. Israel has been engaged in a brutal struggle in opposition to Hamas for the reason that group launched the Oct. 7 terror assault on Israel from Gaza.
Israel Protection Forces reported some hits from the missiles, whose injury was being assessed, in line with an Israeli safety official.
This image reveals projectiles above Jerusalem, on October 1, 2024.
Menahem Kahana | Afp | Getty Pictures
There have been solely two individuals reported frivolously injured from shrapnel from the missile assault within the Tel Aviv space, in line with Israeli authorities. There have been additionally some minor accidents reported throughout Israel involving individuals shifting to protected areas.
There was one reported dying of a Palestinian civilian within the West Financial institution metropolis of Jericho.
U.S. nationwide safety advisor Jake Sullivan, talking to reporters on the White Home, mentioned, “The United States military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend Israel against this attack.”
“Naval destroyers joined Israeli air defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles,” Sullivan mentioned.
Sullivan additionally mentioned, “Obviously, this is a significant escalation by Iran.”
“We are now going to look at what the appropriate next steps are to secure, first and foremost American interests and then to promote stability to the maximum extent possible, as we go forward,” he mentioned.
The IDF introduced that residents have been allowed to depart protected areas throughout the nation simply after 1:30 p.m. ET.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024.
Amir Cohen | Reuters
President Joe Biden met Tuesday afternoon with Vice President Kamala Harris and nationwide safety officers to debate the assault, the White Home mentioned.
“The President directed the US military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks & shoot down missiles targeting Israel,” White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned in a publish on the social media web site X.
“They also reviewed preparations to protect U.S. personnel in the region.”
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem earlier than the assault directed all U.S. authorities workers and their households in Israel to “shelter in place until further notice.”
The embassy in the identical discover mentioned it “reminds U.S. citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and unmanned aircraft system UAS intrusions, often take place without warning.”
“The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events,” the discover mentioned.
Iran’s assault got here a day after Israeli floor forces crossed into south Lebanon as a part of an assault on Hezbollah.
The variety of Israeli troops who’ve entered Lebanon is in “the low hundreds,” an Israeli official informed NBC Information.
Iran Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi had mentioned the killing of Nasrallah and a senior Revolutionary Guards commander in that assault “will not go unanswered.”
Araghchi additionally mentioned america was “complicit in this crime.”
In April, Iran launched an assault on Israel that included greater than 300 drones and ballistic missiles after two high Iranian commanders have been killed by an Israeli airstrike in Syria.
A lot of the missiles and drones have been shot down by the Israeli and U.S. militaries.
