This is the chilling moment Iranian politicians chant ‘death to America’ in the country’s parliament, following the launch of nearly 200 missiles that targeted civilian and military infrastructure in Israel.
Tensions in the Middle East are rapidly heating up, with Iran last night launching the salvo of missiles at Israel, following the IDF’s killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of its ally Hezbollah, in an airstrike in Beirut on Saturday.
This morning, Iranian politicians were seen pumping their fists in the air as they chanted ‘Death to America’ in unison.
The members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also read out verses from the Quran.
Iran and the US have long been enemies, and have not had any official diplomatic ties with each other since 1979, when a group of armed Iranian students held 57 diplomats and citizens hostage in the American embassy for 444 days.
While tensions between Iran and the US have always been fairly high, they have boiled over in the past year and have seemingly come to a head in the past few days.
This morning, Iranian politicians were seen pumping their fists in the air as they chanted ‘Death to America’ in unison
Iran last night launched a salvo of nearly 200 missiles at Israel
US Defense 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’.
Asked by reporters what the response towards Iran would be, US president Biden replied: ‘That’s in active discussion right now.’
He confirmed that the US helped Israel repel a massive missile attack from Iran last night by launching a dozen interceptors and warned Tehran that America is ‘fully, fully supportive of Israel’.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the missile attack was in response to Israel’s killing last week of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, as well as the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran bombing in July widely blamed on Israel.
The attack also sought to avenge Israel’s killing with Nasrallah of leading Iranian commander Abbas Nilforoushan of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm.
Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Mohammad Bagheri also threatened to fire ‘with bigger intensity’ if Israel makes good on its pledge to retaliate.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had exercised its ‘legitimate rights’ and dealt ‘a decisive response… to the Zionist regime’s aggression’.
This picture shows projectiles being intercepted by Israel near the northern city of Baqa al-Gharbiya on October 1
President Joe Biden has confirmed that the US helped Israel repel a missile attack from Iran last night
Israel intercepted most of Iran’s missiles, while Israeli medics reported two people injured by shrapnel. Its leaders last night vowed it would take revenge.
‘Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
‘Whoever attacks us, we attack them.’
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who was at the command and control centre monitoring the interception of Iranian missiles, also vowed vengeance.
‘Iran has not learned a simple lesson – those who attack the state of Israel, pay a heavy price,’ he said in a statement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media platform X that Tehran’s ‘action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation’.
Israel, which put the number of missiles fired at its territory at 180, bombarded Lebanese strongholds of Iran ally Hezbollah, with heavy strikes early Wednesday on south Beirut.
Experts now project that the conflict can only escalate.
‘This will not end well,’ political analyst Jordan Barkin told AFP.
‘Netanyahu has a long history of fighting back strongly and quickly when provoked. Restraint is not Mr. Netanyahu’s strong suit.’
James Demmin-De Lise, an author and analyst who writes a blog for The Times of Israel, agreed.
‘I think we’ll see Israel launch decisive attacks against Iran. Likely with the hope of toppling the Islamic regime,’ he said.
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