On Tuesday, Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel in response to Israel’s recent killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian commander in Lebanon. This move follows the deployment of Israeli ground forces into southern Lebanon as part of an intensified offensive against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant organization.
Of the nearly 200 missiles launched, most were intercepted by Israeli and U.S. defenses, resulting in no known fatalities in Israel. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard stated that they targeted specific areas in response to the deaths of key figures, including Abbas Nilforoushan, a deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, who was killed alongside Nasrallah in Beirut.
Ismail Haniyeh, the political commander of Hamas, was also killed by an Israeli strike in Tehran in July. Since October 7, Israel has been engaged in a war against Hamas following the group’s attack on Israel from Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed some hits from the missiles and are currently assessing the damage. Israeli authorities reported two individuals with minor injuries from shrapnel in the Tel Aviv area and additional minor injuries from people moving to safe spaces. There was also one reported death of a Palestinian civilian in Jericho, West Bank.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the U.S. military closely coordinated with the IDF to help defend against the attack, with naval destroyers and Israeli air defense units intercepting incoming missiles. Sullivan emphasized the significant escalation by Iran and mentioned that the U.S. would consider appropriate measures to secure American interests and promote stability.
Following the attack, the IDF announced that citizens were permitted to leave protected spaces. President Joe Biden met with Vice President Kamala Harris and national security officials to discuss the situation. The U.S. military was directed to aid Israel’s defense against the Iranian attack and to shoot down missiles targeting Israel.
Prior to the attack, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem instructed all U.S. government employees and their families in Israel to shelter in place. The embassy highlighted the need for caution and increased personal security, noting that security incidents often occur without warning.
The missile attack by Iran follows the entry of Israeli ground forces into southern Lebanon, with the number of Israeli troops in Lebanon reported to be in the low hundreds. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously warned that the killing of Nasrallah and the senior Revolutionary Guards commander would not go unanswered, also accusing the U.S. of complicity in the attack.
In April, Iran launched an attack on Israel involving more than 300 drones and ballistic missiles after two top Iranian commanders were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Syria. Most of those drones and missiles were intercepted by Israeli and U.S. defenses.
