Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks were a “big mistake” by Iran and that it “will pay for it.” The attacks included nearly 180-200 ballistic missiles, where several cities were targeted, including Tel Aviv, where one missile reportedly landed near the headquarters of Mossad, creating a huge crater. Its advanced defense systems, which include the Iron Dome, were able to intercept most of these missiles, some of which penetrated and caused little damages.
The missile barrage launched by Iran came after the recent killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Israeli strikes. The Iran actions have increased the fear of a wider regional conflict, as Hezbollah has also been involved in clashes on Israel’s northern front. In response, Israel had launched a limited ground invasion into southern Lebanon targeting forces of Hezbollah.
The international community reacted swiftly, and the U.S. re-affirmed its support to Israel while terming Iran’s attack an ill-advised step. In fact, even US President Joe Biden termed the strike as “defeated and ineffective” while assuring support to Israel. On the contrary, Iran has cautioned both Israel and the U.S. against further escalation of such behavior.
Such were these rising tensions that everybody had a hair-raising experience but both parties warned of further retaliatory attacks in the pipeline.