Israel on Wednesday promised to retaliate after Iran fired a volley of missiles at its land, with Tehran threatening it would target “all infrastructure” in Israel if attacked.
After the attack late Tuesday, in which most of the missiles were intercepted, Israel threatened to make Iran “pay” and promised to hit “the Middle East powerfully.”
Following the missile attack, President Joe Biden stated that the US is “fully supportive” of Israel and that he will negotiate a reaction with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When reporters asked Biden what his answer would be to Iran, he said, “That’s in active discussion right now.”
After Iran launched the missiles, sirens rang across Israel, with the majority of them intercepted by Israeli or ally air forces.
Iranian state media said that 200 missiles, including hypersonic weaponry, were fired against Israel for the first time, with the Revolutionary Guards claiming to have targeted “three military bases” near Tel Aviv and others abroad.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on social networking site X that Tehran’s “action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation.”
The Revolutionary Guards previously stated that the attack was in retribution to Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week, as well as the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran explosion largely blamed on Israel.
Israeli doctors stated that two people were lightly injured by shrapnel.
According to the city’s governor, Hussein Hamayel, a Palestinian was murdered in Jericho “when pieces of a rocket fell from the sky and hit him.”
Iran launched its second direct attack on Israel, following a missile and drone attack in April in reaction to a fatal Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin described the attack as an “outrageous act of aggression” by Iran, while Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters there would be “severe consequences.”
Netanyahu stated, “Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it.”
Iran reacted by threatening to fire “with bigger intensity” if its territory is attacked, with Major General Mohammad Bagheri warning Tehran would target “all infrastructure” in Israel.
Following the missile bombardment, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari promised to strike against Iran.
The air force “will continue to strike tonight in the Middle East powerfully,” he warned. The military later stated that it was bombing Hezbollah targets in Beirut, with a Lebanese security source telling AFP that Israel had struck the city’s southern suburbs at least five times overnight.
AFP footage showed black smoke billowing over southern Beirut on Wednesday morning.
