Iran attacks Israel updates: The Middle East moved closer to a long-feared regional war on Wednesday, a day after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel. The Israeli miliary said it began limited ground incursions into Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
US news website Axios reported, citing Israeli officials, that Israel will launch a “significant retaliation” within days that could target oil production facilities inside Iran and other strategic sites.
The report comes even as the Iranian state television, citing Iran’s top military officer Mohammad Bagheri, claimed that Iran’s ballistic missiles targeted two military bases of Israel and the headquarters of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service.
Israel said it intercepted many of the missiles, and officials in Washington said US destroyers assisted in Israel’s defense. Iran said most of its missiles hit their targets. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Watch: LIVE | Israel Deploys More Troops To Lebanon
Iran’s ‘Operation True Promise II’
Chief of the general Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri told Press TV that the Nevatim air base, the Netzarim military facility and the Tel Nof intelligence unit, were hit in the Tuesday night attack dubbed ‘Operation True Promise II’.
The Nevtim air base houses Israel’s F-35 fighter jets, according to a report in the Tehran Times, which added that the fighter jets that bombarded Beirut on September 27 flew from this military air base. The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps used hypersonic Fatah missiles in targeting the three sites, as per the Iranian news outlet.
‘Iran deliberately did not attack civilian targets’
Bagheri added that Iran deliberately did not attack civilian targets and infrastructure. The ballistic missile attack by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, said Bagheri, was in response to the July 31 killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyah and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan and the September 27 killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Iran’s military actions against Israel were carried out in accordance with its legitimate rights and with the goal of ensuring peace and security for both Iran and the broader region. “This action was in defence of the interests and citizens of Iran,” Pezeshkian said on his account on X, as cited by the Irna news agency.
Israel says most missiles were intercepted
Israeli authorities, however, reported that Iran delivered a massive missile attack with about 180 missiles launched towards it, but most of them were intercepted.
Iran made a big mistake: Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Iran’s missile attack on his country as a “big mistake” and said Tehran would pay for it. “Iran made a big mistake today and will pay for it. The Iranian regime does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to take revenge on our enemies,” he said.
The US military’s Central Command announced that three additional squadrons of F-16 and F-15E fighter aircraft and A-10 attack aircraft were arriving in West Asia and that one squadron had already arrived.
Israeli military warns Lebanese to evacuate 24 villages in the south
The warning on Wednesday came days after the military launched what it said were limited ground operations near the border to combat the Hezbollah militant group. The villages are in a UN-declared buffer zone established after Israel and Hezbollah fought their last war in 2006.
Joe Biden says ‘fully supportive’ of Israel
President Joe Biden, who has called for a halt in the violence in Lebanon, said the United States was “fully supportive” of Israel after the missile attack. Asked by reporters what the response towards Iran would be, Joe Biden replied: “That’s in active discussion right now.”
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin slammed an “outrageous act of aggression” by Iran, while Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters there would be “severe consequences”.
Macron says France is committed to Israel’s protection
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated France’s commitment to Israel’s protection and said Paris has “mobilized its military resources in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat,” according to a statement from the French presidency on Wednesday.
French military spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet would not comment on military resources deployed after Iran has fired a barrage of missiles at Israel Tuesday. In April, France said its forces in the Middle East have intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting Israel.
India says it’s deeply concerned over Mideast escalation
India on Wednesday said it was deeply concerned at the escalation of the security situation in the Middle East and reiterated its call for restraint by all concerned and protection of civilians.
“It is important that the conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension, and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy,” said a statement issued by the external affairs ministry.
Iran says it was an act of self-defence
Iran’s foreign minister has described his nation’s ballistic missile attack on Israel as self-defence. Abbas Araghchi made the comments in a television interview on Wednesday in Tehran.
Germany’s chancellor calls on Iran, Hezbollah to stop their attacks on Israel
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is calling on Iran and Hezbollah to stop their attacks on Israel and says Tehran is risking a wider regional conflagration.
Scholz issued a statement on Wednesday strongly condemning Iran’s missile barrage against Israel the previous evening. He said that “with this, Iran is risking setting the whole region on fire — that must be prevented under all circumstances. Hezbollah and Iran must cease their attacks on Israel immediately.”
(With inputs from agencies)
