In a significant escalation of tensions, Iran announced that it fired dozens of ballistic missiles at important military and security targets within Israel. The attack comes in response to what Iran describes as the “mass killing” of people in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the deaths of leaders from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to Israeli officials, Iran launched approximately 180 missiles into the country, although a large portion was intercepted by Israel’s defence systems.
The IRGC stated that this missile strike, named “True Promise 2,” hit strategic centres inside Israel. The group claimed that Iranian-made missiles successfully targeted air and radar bases, as well as centres involved in the planning of assassinations against resistance leaders, including Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh. Iran’s mission to the United Nations described the attack as a “legal and legitimate response” to Israeli acts of aggression. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei emphasized the strike’s significance by sharing an illustration of missiles being launched, accompanied by a Quranic verse promising victory.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Israel against further confrontation, describing the strike as a defensive move to protect Iran’s interests and citizens. He cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against entering a conflict with Iran but emphasized that the country does not seek war.
In the wake of the missile attack, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder confirmed that U.S. forces remain positioned in the Middle East to support Israel. Ryder noted that the scale of this attack was twice as large as a similar Iranian operation in April. While U.S. naval destroyers launched interceptors during the strikes, Ryder reported that no U.S. personnel or infrastructure were affected.
Ryder also highlighted the serious intent behind the attack, stating, “You don’t launch that many missiles at a target without the intent of hitting something.”
The situation has led to intensified Israeli air raids on Lebanon and Gaza. In Beirut, Israeli forces targeted a building near the Zahraa Hospital in southern Dahiyeh, as well as a location near Kuwait’s embassy. Reports from the Gaza Strip indicate that several people were killed in airstrikes, including 11 individuals sheltering in the Nuseirat refugee camp, seven in a tent west of Khan Younis, and several others in different parts of the region.
The U.S. State Department called on all nations to join in condemning Iran’s actions, stressing Israel’s right to defend itself. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “There must be consequences for the attack,” though he did not specify what measures the U.S. would take.
Meanwhile, a senior Hezbollah official told Al Jazeera that the missile strike was successful, with several Israeli military bases hit as planned. The official also criticized the performance of Israel’s defence systems, describing the interception rate as “weak.”
This attack marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict, with both Iran and Israel signalling readiness for further confrontation despite international calls for de-escalation.
