Iran launched dozens of missiles at Israel on Tuesday evening, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
The strikes were in retaliation for recent Israeli raids against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon, according to a statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The Israeli military confirmed that “missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel,” with sirens blaring across the country. Explosions were reported over Jerusalem by AFP journalists, signaling the severity of the attacks. Iran’s state-run news agency, IRNA, announced the launch of a “missile attack on Tel Aviv,” targeting Israel’s commercial hub.
This retaliation follows the deaths of two key militant leaders. Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh died in a bombing in Tehran, which Iran has blamed on Israeli forces. Israel’s airspace was promptly closed, and flights were diverted, while neighboring countries Iraq and Jordan also shut their airspace to avoid further danger.
As Israeli air defense systems moved to intercept the incoming missiles, blasts were heard as far as Amman, Jordan, highlighting the widespread impact of the attack.
Earlier in the day, Israeli forces initiated targeted ground raids into southern Lebanon, sparking concerns of further escalation. The raids come on the heels of intense airstrikes that have devastated areas in Lebanon, including the killing of Nasrallah. Iran has vowed retaliation, although its foreign ministry clarified that Tehran would not send ground troops into the conflict.
In response to the growing conflict, the United States announced it would deploy several thousand additional troops to the Middle East, aiming to bolster regional security amidst the widening war.
