Iran launched dozens of missiles toward Israel on Tuesday in what it said was a response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others.
CNN teams on the ground in multiple locations across Israel have observed dozens of missiles flying above them. Some have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses, although it is not clear how many. Sirens sounded across the country, according to a statement from Israel’s military.
Israel’s military said its initial estimate was that Iran fired 180 “projectiles” at the country. Israel Defense Forces, IDF, spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said there were no injuries following the attack, adding this was not the first time Israel had faced a threat from Iran. “We are ready for them,” he said.
There was a serious attack on us and there will be serious consequences,” Hagari said in a briefing.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted Israel in response to the killing of Nasrallah and others, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
After the barrage of missiles was launched, the Iranian mission to the United Nations said that Tehran carried out a response to “the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime.”
The mission said on X that if Israel should “dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue.”
US warned about ‘imminent attack’
The White House warned earlier on Tuesday that Iran was poised to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel soon, instantly ratcheting up fears of all-out war in the region.
People in Tel Aviv and other cities have been told to stay near shelters or other protected areas and the atmosphere on the streets was noticeably tense.
In a statement released mid-morning, just hours before Tehran launched the attack, the White House said it had “indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” adding the United States was “actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack.”
“A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” a senior White House official said in a statement.
Israel assessed that Iran was likely to attack three Israeli air bases and an intelligence base located just north of Tel Aviv, a person briefed on the matter said before the attack. Some of the missiles launched by Iran appeared to target these locations.
The intelligence base in Glilot was evacuated Tuesday afternoon, the person said, and the Israeli military has put contingency plans for the safety of personnel at those bases into effect.
Reported by CNN
