Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate against Iran after it fired about 200 missiles at Israel in a major escalation of hostilities in what world powers fear could be a Middle East war.
The massacre began around 7:30 pm Israeli time on Tuesday, hours after the US warned of an attack on Iran. The Israeli Defense Forces said that many missiles were intercepted and reports indicated that only one person was killed, who was in the West Bank.
The US, whose warships helped fire the projectiles, also said the attack “appears to have been defeated and ineffective.”
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Still, the salvo was far more dramatic and dangerous than the array of missiles and 300 drones Iran fired at Israel in April. This time, Tehran gave little warning and its rockets penetrated deeper into Israeli territory, with cities including Tel Aviv and Hod Hasharon hit and the night sky lit up.
Iran said its latest move was in retaliation for Israel’s devastating attacks on Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Tehran’s most important proxy group. On Friday, Israel killed the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in an air strike in Beirut. This happened after days of bombings that killed many of the group’s commanders, and on Monday night Israel intensified its campaign by sending troops to southern Lebanon.
Iran said it intended to attack the military on Tuesday and that the operation was successful. State media say 90% of the missiles hit their targets, something initial US and Israeli assessments suggested were incorrect. In other parts of Iran, crowds gathered to celebrate.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay,” said Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. “The Iranian regime does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to take revenge on our enemies.”
Israel’s response could come within days and possible targets include Iran’s oil infrastructure and military bases. Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp. threatened a new “crushing” attack if Israel bombed Iran.
The US says it is “well-positioned” to defend Israel against threats from Iran and said there would be “serious consequences” for Tehran for Tuesday’s attack.
In April, Israel hit back at Iran with a limited strike on the Isfahan airport that caused little damage. In this case, there is a lot of pressure in Israel for Netanyahu to respond with force.
The prices of oil, gold and US Treasuries fell late on Tuesday when the US said Iran was preparing to attack, although it later gained some ground when it became clear that the violence had caused a few casualties in Israel. Brent crude rose another 1.5% in early trading on Wednesday to around $75 a barrel. It remains the lowest in six weeks, suggesting traders do not believe there will be a major supply disruption to Iran or other parts of the oil-rich Gulf.
The attack was the latest escalation in a wider conflict that began when Gaza-based Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Israel’s subsequent offensive on Gaza has killed 41,000 people, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Hamas-run health ministry. That sparked widespread anger against Israel in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel in collaboration with Hamas on October 8. Both groups are supported by Iran and are considered terrorist organizations by the US.
Read more: History suggests that the Israeli Army will not defeat Hezbollah
In recent weeks, Israel has shifted its main focus from Gaza to Hezbollah in northern Lebanon. It escalated its war against Hezbollah last month with a series of attacks on the group, eliminating almost all of its leadership and a significant portion of its stockpile of missiles and other weapons.
Netanyahu said Israel was forced to take drastic measures against Hezbollah because diplomatic efforts by the likes of the US and France failed to stop its missile and drone attacks. Israel also wants to allow tens of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes in the north.
The European Union, which like the US has had little success in controlling or ending the fighting in Gaza or Lebanon, said “successive waves of attacks and reprisals have fueled the uncontrollable conflict.”
The US has strengthened its military position in the Middle East in recent days. The Pentagon on Monday said it would send several thousand troops and fighter jets to the region.