(NewsNation) — Iran launched dozens of missiles into Israel Tuesday, according to the IDF, further escalating the conflict between the two nations.
Israeli Army spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video statement Tuesday that the air defense system detected and intercepted threats “wherever necessary.”
While the attacks appeared to be over in the afternoon, Hagari said that “this fire will have consequences.”
“We have plans, we will act at a place and a time of our decision,” Hagari said, according to Reuters.
The Iran Mission to the United Nations, meanwhile, called the missile attack a “legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime.”
“Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue,” the mission said.
This is what’s known so far.
What happened?
The Israeli military said Iran fired 181 ballistic missiles, sending 10 million Israelis to bomb shelters. Less than an hour after the Iranian attack, alerts went off in areas of northern Israel such as Metulla, Kfar Giladi, Tel hai, and Kiryat Shmona. These are some of the most common spots Hezbollah attacks.
Officials in Israel said they saw no injuries. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there are currently no known deaths in Israel, and no military assets damaged, but there was one report of a Palestinian who died in Jericho in the West Bank.
“We will consult with the Israelis on next steps in terms of response and how to deal with what Iran has just done, and we will continue to monitor for further threats and attacks from Iran and its proxies,” Sullivan said. “We are particularly focused on protecting US service members in the region.”
Most of the missiles from Iran were intercepted, an Israeli security official said, though some managed to land.
What lead up to the attack?
Although Israel and Iran have fought what the Associated Press calls a “shadow war,” they have only rarely come into direct conflict.
Iran said they launched the missiles after Israel killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military. Last week, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan died in airstrikes Israel conducted in Beirut, Lebanon. The death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh from an Israeli predawn airstrike in July, was also cited by Iran as the reason for their retaliation.
Before Tuesday’s attack, Israel invaded southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages while Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rockets into Israel. Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, though. This comes after two weeks of intensive air strikes in Lebanon.
Back in April, Iran had done another missile attack against Israel. Most of those missiles were intercepted, as they were Tuesday, though one girl was injured from falling shrapnel.
What have US officials said?
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, President Joe Biden said the United States military actively supported Israel in its defense. Biden, Harris and other military officials watched the situation unfold in the Situation Room of the White House.
“We’re still assessing the impact, but based on what we now know, the attackers have been defeated and ineffective, and this is testament to Israeli military capability and the US military,” Biden said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ahead of a scheduled meeting with the Indian External Affairs Minister, called Iran’s attack “totally unacceptable,” adding the entire world should condemn it.
“We demonstrated once again our commitment to Israel’s defense,” Blinken said. “We’ll remain in very close touch with Israel and other partners in the region in the hours and days ahead.”
Pentagon officials said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had spoken with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to discuss the threat.
“The Secretary shared that over recent days the United States has increased force readiness and continues to maintain significant military capability in the region,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. “Secretary Austin made it clear that the United States is well-postured to defend U.S. personnel, allies, and partners in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and is determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict in the region.”
NewsNation’s Joe Khalil, Paula Malatesta, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.