Latest Developments:
- Tehran warns Israel’s allies against intervening
- Israel says school damaged by a missile, no casualties reported
- Iran missile attack was ‘severe escalation,’ Israel says
- Any Israel response to be met by ‘vast destruction,’ Iran says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel declared that his country’s fiercest adversary, Iran, will bear the cost of its missile assault on his country on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Tehran threatened to respond with “vast destruction” in the event of reprisal, stoking fears of a wider conflict.
Iran’s military forces declared that direct action by Israel’s backers against Tehran would result in a “strong attack” from Iran on their “bases and interests” in the region, while Washington voiced full support for its longstanding friend, Israel.
A conference on the Middle East was scheduled for Wednesday by the U.N. Security Council, and oil prices surged by 5% due to worries of a larger battle between the two ancient foes. Netanyahu began a political-security meeting by saying, “Iran made a big mistake tonight and it will pay for it,” according to a statement.
The attack, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, was a reprisal for Israeli assassinations of militant commanders and aggression against the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed movement in Gaza and Lebanon.
With Israel’s escalating attack on Lebanon over the last two weeks—which included the commencement of a ground campaign there on Monday—and its ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, there are growing concerns that Iran and the United States may be dragged into a regional war.
In its onslaught on Tuesday, Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, Israel reported. Israel was rocked by explosions and alarms, and both Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley were affected. During live broadcasts, state television reporters lay flat on the ground while Israelis crammed themselves into bomb shelters.
According to the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s soldiers successfully launched 90% of their hypersonic Fattah missiles onto their targets in Israel on their first attempt at using them.
Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated in a video on X that “Iran’s attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” adding that Israeli air defences were activated and the majority of missiles were intercepted “by Israel and a defensive coalition led by the United States.”
He said that there were more attacks in southern Israel and that “a small number” of hits fell on central Israel. A video showing a school in the central city of Gadera that was severely destroyed by an Iranian missile was released by the Israeli military.
Israel’s authorities said that one guy had died in the occupied West Bank, but no casualties had been recorded there. According to the Pentagon, over a dozen interceptors were fired by US Navy warships against Iranian missiles that were travelling towards Israel.
President of the United States Joe Biden affirmed Israel’s unwavering support and called Iran’s attack “ineffective.” He indicated that he would speak with Netanyahu and that there was a continuing conversation on Israel’s response.
The Democratic nominee for president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris, praised Biden’s position and declared that the United States would not back down from defending its interests against Iran. Israel promised to hold the onslaught accountable.
Escalation in Lebanon
After Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed key members of Iran’s ally Hezbollah, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah, a formidable role in Iran’s network of fighters throughout the region, Iran had pledged to react.
The terrorist organisation in Gaza supported by Iran, Hamas, applauded the Iranian missile strikes, claiming they exacted revenge on Israel for the killing of three militant commanders, including Nasrallah.
After over a year-long conflict, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip rejoiced as they observed many rockets travelling towards Israel. Witnesses claimed that while some of those rockets were intercepted by Israel, they landed in the Palestinian enclave, but no one was killed.
Israel’s military reported that Israeli attacks in Beirut killed the commander of the Imam Hussein division, which is a Syrian militia affiliated with Hezbollah. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli attacks on Tuesday resulted in 156 injuries and 55 fatalities. Although it characterised the incursions as limited, Israel declared overnight that its troops had begun ground raids into Lebanon.
According to Lebanese government figures released on Tuesday, after nearly a year of cross-border combat in Lebanon, there have been about 1,900 fatalities and over 9,000 injuries, the majority of which have occurred in the last two weeks.
However, there would be a significant regional escalation if Israeli forces launched their first ground campaign into Lebanon in eighteen years, facing out against Hezbollah, Iran’s most potent proxy force in the Middle East.
| Key points on the current Israel-Iran war |
| – Israel and Iran have been engaged in a long-running proxy conflict for decades, largely centered around Iran’s support for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas that wish to exterminate Israel, and Israel’s efforts to curb Iranian influence in the region. Iran’s official position is that Israel should not exist. The present escalation follows a series of skirmishes earlier in 2024, including Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military targets in Syria. – The present conflict began on October 1, 2024, when Iran launched a large-scale missile attack on Israel, firing 181 missiles at major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. This attack was a response to the assassination of key figures associated with Iran and its allies, including Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. – The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024, by Israeli forces in Tehran, heightened tensions. Iran vowed retaliation for Haniyeh’s death, marking it as a direct provocation. The killing of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian General Abbas Nilforoushan deepened the conflict. – Iran named the missile offensive “Operation True Promise 2,” signifying a continuation of its commitment to retaliate against Israeli actions. The operation was labeled an act of “self-defense” by Iran following the assassinations. – Israel’s advanced missile defense systems like Iron Dome, intercepted many of the missiles fired by Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Iranian attack, calling it a severe mistake, and vowed a strong military response. – Jordan also reported intercepting missiles and drones, while other regional actors like Hezbollah in Lebanon and pro-Iranian factions in Iraq and Syria are closely watching the developments. The broader Middle East could be destabilized if the conflict continues to escalate. – The United States has been closely involved in the conflict, providing Israel with military support. The U.S. Navy intercepted several missiles aimed at Israel, and Washington has warned Iran of severe consequences for its actions. The U.S. is coordinating with Israel to ensure Tehran faces repercussions. – Iranian officials have warned that if Israel retaliates with the support of the US, Tehran will launch further “crushing attacks” on both Israeli and US targets in the Middle East and elsewhere. This threat has escalated fears of a broader regional war, potentially involving Iran’s proxy forces in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. |
Balaji Subramanian 
Dhruv Ashok 
Aayush Pal