Iran Launches Missile Barrage at Israel in Retaliation for Assassinations
Iran announced it fired a series of missiles at Israel in retaliation for the assassinations of senior officials from Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Iranian military, prompting Israelis to seek shelter and escalating fears of broader conflict in the region.
Sirens blared across Israel, and explosions were reported in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv late Tuesday. Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated there were no casualties and that the army no longer perceived immediate threats in the airspace, assuring citizens it was safe to exit shelters. However, Israeli emergency services reported at least two individuals suffered minor injuries from shrapnel in the Tel Aviv area.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, a 38-year-old Palestinian man died from shrapnel wounds in Jericho, located in the eastern occupied West Bank.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed the missile attack was a direct response to the recent killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan, as well as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this year. The IRGC stated, “In response to the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, and Nilforoushan, we targeted the heart of the occupied territories,” and specified that three military bases in the Tel Aviv area were targeted.
The IRGC also threatened that any Israeli retaliation would provoke an even more severe response. Iran’s state media reported that 80 percent of the launched missiles hit their targets, while the Israeli military indicated a significant number were intercepted.
Hagari described the attack as serious and warned of forthcoming consequences. A senior Iranian official revealed that the order to strike Israel was issued by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is currently in a secure location.
In response, the United States announced that its forces are prepared to offer “additional defensive support” to Israel, following their assistance in countering the Iranian missile assault. A US defense official stated that American forces remain positioned to protect US operations in the region.
