By Patrick Kingsley, Aaron Boxerman, Eric Schmitt, Ronen Bergman and Farnaz Fassihi
On Tuesday evening, Iran launched several waves of ballistic missiles towards Israel, marking a sudden offensive that forced Israel to battle on three fronts and increased the possibility of a full-blown conflict between two powerful militaries in the Middle East.
This missile assault was the climax of a swift series of events occurring within a 24-hour period, beginning with Israel’s incursion into Lebanon targeting the Hezbollah militia, an ally of Iran. Throughout Tuesday, Israel conducted heavy aerial bombardments over Lebanon as its forces advanced on the ground, while Hezbollah responded by firing rockets deep into Israeli territory.
The Israeli military reported that Iran fired around 180 missiles during its offensive, making it one of the largest barrages recorded, which compelled millions of Israelis to seek refuge in bomb shelters for over an hour. While many missiles were intercepted by Israel’s air defense, some landed in central and southern regions of Israel, per the Israeli military’s accounts.
Initial reports indicated that there were no immediate casualties within Israel; however, a Palestinian individual lost his life due to falling debris in the occupied West Bank.
According to early evaluations, Israel “effectively thwarted this assault,” assisted by the U.S. and other allies, affirmed Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who remarked that “the entire international community should denounce” the Iranian attack.
Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to President Joe Biden, informed reporters that U.S. naval destroyers had collaborated with Israel to shoot down incoming missiles, emphasizing “thorough joint planning in preparation for this attack.”
The assault left the region in a state of heightened alert. As Israel’s top military leaders convened to evaluate the scenario, the military’s chief spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, stated that Israel would retaliate at its discretion regarding timing and nature of the response. Iran, on its end, declared it would launch additional missile attacks if Israel initiated a counteroffensive.
A senior official from the White House mentioned that the United States is committed to defending Israel and cautioned that a direct assault on Israel would “entail severe repercussions for Iran.”
The magnitude of the attack challenged the prevailing belief among Israelis that Iran had been deterred by Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions against Iran and its affiliates in recent months. Since July, Israel has successfully targeted Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran, and eliminated Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, along with several of his military leaders.
These attacks resulted in minimal retaliation from Iran until Tuesday night, when Iran’s Revolutionary Guard asserted that the missile assault was a response to those assassinations.
During the assault, air raid sirens blared throughout Israel, encompassing Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Residents heard loud explosions as Israel’s interceptor missiles shot across the night sky, engaging numerous incoming threats.
This attack coincided with Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, another Iranian-backed group operating from the Gaza Strip, and escalated operations in Palestinian cities within the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Iran previously attacked Israel in April, but with assistance from the United States, Jordan, and others, Israel managed to intercept nearly all incoming missiles and drones directed at its territory. The U.S. encouraged restraint, leading to a subdued response from Israel; it targeted an air base near some of Iran’s nuclear sites but refrained from striking the sites themselves.
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— U.S. troops: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin communicated with Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, with the Pentagon stating that Austin “affirmed that the United States is well positioned to defend U.S. personnel, allies, and partners against threats from Iran and Iran-aligned militant groups.” The Pentagon revealed on Monday that it is deploying “several thousand” additional U.S. troops to the region, enhancing its force of roughly 40,000 already present in the area.
— Regional response: Sounds resembling celebratory gunfire echoed across Beirut following reports of the Iranian strike on Israel. The Israeli military has been executing extensive airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in and around Beirut, including those conducted on Tuesday.
— In Jordan: Witnesses reported loud explosions reverberating in Amman, the capital of Jordan, a country situated between Israel and Iran that assisted in intercepting a launch from Iran aimed at Israel in April.
— Shooting in Tel Aviv: The Israeli emergency response service reported at least six fatalities and numerous injuries when two assailants opened fire on a light rail train in Tel Aviv shortly after residents were advised to find shelter due to the Iranian missile onslaught. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the shooting that occurred on Tuesday night. Authorities characterized the incident as a terrorist attack.
