Israel vows to strike back after Iranian missile attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Iran made a big mistake in attacking Israel. He promised the Tehran government would pay for its aggression, saying that Iran did not understand the lengths that Israel would go to defend itself. Israel Defense Force spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Tuesday said that the Israeli military would retaliate wherever, whenever, and however it chose.

What exactly happened? Tehran on Tuesday launched more than 180 missiles at Israel from Iranian territory, Hagari said. Israel’s Iron Dome defense system destroyed most of the missiles in the air, Netanyahu said. The United States helped Israel shoot down the missiles, the IDF acknowledged on Tuesday. However, some missiles did land in central and southern Israel, Hagari noted. No Israeli deaths were reported in connection with the attack, although a separate mass shooting in Tel Aviv reportedly did claim several lives. Still, Iran’s attack marked a severe escalation from Israel’s prior conflict with Iranian proxies Hezbollah and Hamas, Hagari said.

What has Iran had to say? Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday accused the United States and European powers of provoking conflict in the Middle East with their presence in the region. If Western countries withdrew their presence from the region, the conflict would cease, he said. Iran hoped to remove its enemies from the region, he added.

What have the so-called Western powers had to say? The United States on Tuesday condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and demanded Tehran cease any further attempts to harm Israel. American authorities also promised to continue the defense of Israel. German Chancellor Olaf Schulz also condemned Iran’s missile attack. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu also promised to work together to protect French and U.S. personnel in the region.

What’s happening elsewhere in the region? The IDF on Wednesday reported that its soldiers on the ground in southern Lebanon destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure through close-range engagements and precision strikes. Israeli airstrikes destroyed more than 150 rocket launchers and weapon storage sites affiliated with the terrorist group.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about Iran’s attack on Israel.