Israel says Iran will face ‘consequences’ after heavy missile barrage

Israel has vowed Iran’s missile attack ‘will have consequences’ as the Middle East teeters on the brink of an all-out war. Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night in revenge for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, including the assassination of its leader last week. Air raid sirens sounded as some 181 missiles began raining down on Israel, many lighting up the night sky in bright orange flame as they were intercepted by Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ defence system.

The shocking assault, hailed as ‘heroic’ by Hamas, was ‘twice the scope’ of Tehran’s previous bombardment in April which saw more than 170 explosive drones and 120 ballistic missiles launched in retaliation for an Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate building in Syria.

Despite claims by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that a new type of hypersonic missile was used for the first time, IDF Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (pictured) said there were no Israeli casualties, with only a few projectiles sneaking through air defences to impact sites in the centre and south of the country. ‘We are on high alert both defensively and offensively,’ Hagari said in a TV broadcast. ‘We will defend the citizens of the State of Israel. This attack will have consequences. We have plans, and we will operate at the place and time we decide.’

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan condemned the ‘significant escalation by Iran’, but added: ‘In short, this attack seems to have been defeated and ineffective’. And British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was on the phone to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu when the attack began, said: ‘I am deeply concerned that the region is on the brink and I am deeply concerned about the risk of miscalculation.’

With the world holding its breath over an all-out war in the Middle East, the White House said President Joe Biden had ordered the U.S. military to ‘aid Israel’s defence’ and shoot down Iranian missiles. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee in next month’s U.S. presidential election, were both monitoring Iran’s attack on Israel from the White House situation room.

The U.S. had earlier warned that it was preparing for Iran to launch ballistic missiles this evening in yet another major escalation in the Middle East. These can cover the thousands of kilometres from Iran to Israel in just over 10 minutes, rather than drones or cruise missiles which can take far longer. Israeli media reported that between 150 and 200 missiles were fired into Israel in what Iran confirmed was a revenge attack for Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said its ‘Fattah’ hypersonic missile, which translates as ‘conqueror’ or ‘bringer of victory’ in Arabic, was part of the salvo. Iran claimed that 80 per cent of the missiles hit their targets, but the U.S. and Israel have said the attack appears to have been ineffective, putting the number of missiles fired at 181. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to carry out ‘crushing attacks’ against Israel if it were to retaliate, adding: ‘In response to the martyrdom of (Hamas leader) Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah and (Guards commander) Nilforoshan, we targeted the heart of the occupied territories (Israel).’

Hamas also praised the missile assault, releasing a statement that read: ‘The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) blesses the heroic rocket launches carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran against wide areas of our occupied lands.’ It added that it was ‘in revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs’.

The aerial bombardment of Israel came as police battled a terrorist attack in the city of Jaffa, with Israeli media reporting that at least six people were shot dead. At least nine others were wounded in the shooting on Tuesday night, just a day before the Jewish New Year. Magen David Adom – Israel’s national emergency services – announced that the ‘terrorist’ incident in Jaffa involved multiple casualties.

The video shows a gunman and another suspect dressed in all black prowling along a light rail station before opening fire. A volley of shots was unleashed before anguished screams were heard and more shots rang out. The suspects then turned around and began advancing along the other side of the platform where bodies were later seen piling up in a separate clip. According to local police, the two armed men were ‘neutralized’ by security forces.

The attack by Iran on Israel could prove to be the catalyst for an all-out war in the Middle East, particularly if Tel Aviv decides to respond in kind. In a rare emergency briefing, Sir Keir Stamer said he ‘utterly condemned’ Iran’s attempt ‘to harm innocent Israelis’ and ‘push the region ever-closer to the brink’. He said: ‘We stand with Israel, and recognise her right to self defence in the face of this aggression. Iran must stop these attacks, together with its proxies like Hezbollah.’

The PM added: ‘We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people. I am deeply concerned that the region is on the brink and I am deeply concerned about the risk of miscalculation.’ He said the situation in Lebanon ‘is incredibly grave’ and warned British nationals to leave immediately. Sir Keir refused to confirm or deny whether the British military would be helping Israel, telling reporters: ‘This is an evolving situation but what I will say is that we stand with Israel and her right to self defence and relevant updates will be provided in due course.’

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