Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran's missile attack on Israel failed and vowed retaliation, at the start of a security meeting in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night (October 1). "Iran made a big mistake tonight - and it will pay for it," he said. "The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies."
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's campaign against Tehran's Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, drawing vows of a sharp response from both Israel and the United States. Israel said more than 180 missiles were launched into Israel from Iran and Israeli air defenses were activated to intercept them. US Navy warships fired about a dozen interceptors against Iranian missiles headed toward Israel, the Pentagon said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said the assault was in retaliation for recent Israeli killings of militant leaders and aggression in Lebanon and Gaza. Its forces used hypersonic Fattah missiles for the first time, and 90% of its missiles successfully hit their targets in Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said.
No injuries were reported in Israel, but one man was killed in the occupied West Bank, authorities there said.
Why did Iran launch missiles toward Israel?
Israel’s military said it identified 180 missiles launched from Iran shortly after 7:30 p.m. Sirens blared across the country, and Israelis were ordered to stay in protected areas. An Israeli security official said that in cooperation with the United States, the Israeli Air Force intercepted many of the missiles, though there were some direct hits damaging buildings and igniting some fires.
US and British officials later said approximately 200 missiles had been launched by Iran.
Iran said the missiles were in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July. It warned this attack represented only a “first wave,” without elaborating.
(With inputs from agencies)
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