The US claims that it and Israel are debating a coordinated response.
Iran launched over 200 missiles, including its first-ever hypersonic weaponry, at Israel on Tuesday, according to the country’s official media. The Revolutionary Guards said that the missiles were aimed at “three military bases” in the Tel Aviv area as well as other locations.
On the social media site X, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran’s “action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation”.
The attack, according to the Revolutionary Guards, was a reaction to Israel’s killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, last week, and Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, in Tehran towards the end of July.
Israeli medical personnel recorded two cases of minor shrapnel injuries. Hussein Hamayel, the governor of Jericho, reported that a Palestinian man died “when pieces of a rocket fell from the sky and hit him” in the occupied West Bank.
Following a deadly Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in April, Iran launched its second direct attack on Israel using missiles and drones.
Combined reaction
After Iran threatened Tehran with “severe consequences” and launched a flurry of missiles toward Israel, the US said that it was planning a coordinated response.
Israel promised to strike “the Middle East powerfully” right away and declared that it would make Iran “pay” for the attack.
Following the missile attack, President Joe Biden declared that the US was “fully supportive” of Israel and that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will talk about how to respond.
Reporters asked Biden what kind of retaliation he would take against Iran, to which he said, “That’s in active discussion right now.”
Meanwhile, worldwide appeals to halt the “broadening conflict in the Middle East” were led by UN chief Antonio Guterres, who declared in a statement that “this must stop.” A ceasefire is obviously necessary.”
Tehran’s admonition
The head of Iran’s armed forces has drawn a line in the sand, indicating that Tehran would launch a deadly counterattack if Israel invaded.
The missile onslaught, according to General Mohammad Bagheri, was only the beginning. He cautioned that the next round of strikes would target every piece of infrastructure in Israel and would be far more severe.
Bagheri added that Iran had held back after the US and EU promised a ceasefire in Gaza following the execution of Haniyeh.
However, Tehran’s patience was clearly exhausted after Israel eliminated Iran’s General Abbas Nilforoushan and Hezbollah’s Nasrallah.
Tehran had mostly abstained from direct attacks on its regional adversary, even while Iran-aligned organizations throughout the region had already been dragged into Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
