TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel has vowed swift retaliation after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles across Israeli territory, marking a dangerous escalation in the region’s ongoing conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a decisive response to the attack in an emergency meeting with his security cabinet late Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight—and it will pay for it,” Netanyahu said. “The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies … They will understand.”
The Iranian missile attack, unprecedented in scale, consisted of more than 180 ballistic missiles aimed at Israel’s key coastal cities.
According to Israeli officials, most of the missiles were intercepted by Israel’s advanced air defense systems, but some struck areas near Tel Aviv and central Israel.
Air raid sirens blared across the country as citizens took cover in shelters.
Iranian Retaliation for Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
The Iranian strikes came just 24 hours after Israel launched its largest ground incursion into southern Lebanon in decades, targeting Hezbollah strongholds.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the missile barrage as a “decisive response” to what he called Israeli aggression.
“Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not a belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat … Do not enter into a conflict with Iran,” Pezeshkian stated.
Tehran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, echoed these sentiments, asserting that Iran’s actions were concluded unless Israel provoked further retaliation.
“Israel’s enablers now have a heightened responsibility to rein in the warmongers in Tel Aviv instead of getting involved in their folly,” Araghchi posted on social media.
The Iranian missiles reportedly targeted three Israeli military bases, according to Iranian state media.
The attack came days after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a significant blow to the Iranian-backed militia.
Israeli and Global Reactions
Netanyahu’s government described the Iranian missile barrage as a “serious attack” and vowed to respond with military force.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have already launched retaliatory strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and on Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Yemen.
“We are on high alert both defensively and offensively,” said IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a broadcast. “This attack will have consequences. We have plans, and we will operate at the place and time we decide.”
The U.S., a close ally of Israel, condemned the Iranian missile strike. U.S. Navy destroyers stationed in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted several missiles fired toward Israel, defense officials reported.
In a statement, the White House warned of “severe consequences” for Iran if the conflict continues to escalate.
“This must stop,” urged U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the Iranian attack and called on Israel to cease its military operations in Lebanon.
Rising Regional Tensions
The missile attacks have heightened fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East, with diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation appearing to unravel.
The Israeli-Lebanese border has been a flashpoint of violence for weeks, with Hezbollah and Israeli forces trading rocket fire and airstrikes.
The Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon, launched on Monday and dubbed Operation Northern Arrow, is the most significant since the 2006 war.
Over 30 villages in southern Lebanon have been evacuated as Israeli forces push northward, targeting Hezbollah positions.
In Tel Aviv, residents described scenes of panic as the missile sirens sounded. Orli Mircus, a social worker, recounted the fear she felt watching the missiles fly overhead.
“At that moment, I wanted to know where our loved ones were,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking—I was so afraid.”
As the situation intensifies, millions of Israelis remain in shelters, with airspace over the country closed to civilian aircraft.
Meanwhile, oil prices surged 5% following the missile strikes, reflecting global fears that the conflict could soon spiral into a larger regional war.
What comes next in this rapidly escalating conflict remains unclear, but Netanyahu’s warning was unequivocal: Israel will strike back.
