'Iran Made a Big Mistake': Netanyahu Talks Tough, Israel Warns of Powerful West Asia Strikes
- In Military & Strategic Affairs
- 12:23 PM, Oct 02, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it would continue launching strong strikes across the Middle East overnight after Iran fired a series of missiles at Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Tehran had made a "big mistake." Despite warning from the United States, Iran fired a series of missiles at Israel during the night.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman, stated in a statement that "the air force continues to operate fully, and tonight it will continue to strike in the Middle East powerfully, as has been happening throughout the past year." Following Iran's missile attack on Israel, Hagari declared that Tehran was driving the "Middle East towards escalation" and vowed to take action against the country.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, stated that Tehran’s “action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation”. He also warned Israel saying, “We did so after exercising tremendous restraint for almost two months, to give space for a ceasefire in Gaza. Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful.”
Israel declared that it would "pay" Iran for the attack, claiming that 180 missiles were fired at its territory. The United States warned Tehran of "severe consequences" and announced on Tuesday that it is thinking of acting in tandem with its ally Israel in response to the attack by the Islamic Republic in retaliation for the assassination of leaders of Hezbollah, which Iran supports.
In the wake of the missile attack, US President Joe Biden declared that the US was "fully supportive" of Israel and said he would talk with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on how to respond to the attack. Biden told reporters at the White House, "At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defence of Israel," as reported by The Times of Israel.
Following Iran's launch of the missiles on Tuesday, thousands of sirens sounded throughout Israel. The Israeli commercial centre of Tel Aviv was the target of "three military bases," according to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The attack, according to the Revolutionary Guards, was a reaction to Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week and the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a bombing in Tehran that was largely attributed to Israel.
According to the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, his country had exercised its “legitimate rights” and dealt “a decisive response… to the Zionist regime’s aggression”. Israel, Iraq and Jordan — which are situated between Israel and Iran — both closed their airspace before opening it again.
However, the Israeli military declared the attack to be over after an hour or so. Israeli medical personnel reported two cases of minor shrapnel injuries. Following a deadly Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in April, Iran launched its second direct attack on Israel using missiles and drones.
A few hours after Iran fired about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned reporters that "there will be consequences, severe consequences" and described the missile attack as a "significant escalation" by Iran.
The Israeli Prime Minister stated on Tuesday, “Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it,” warning: “Whoever attacks us, we attack them.” Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari promised the Israeli air force “will continue to strike (tonight) in the Middle East powerfully, as has been happening throughout the past year”.
In a post on X, the IDF said, “Iran’s attack is a severe and dangerous escalation.” The Old City of Jerusalem, a sacred place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, was also captured in raw video that was uploaded.
The Israeli military then announced that it was attacking Beirut-based Hezbollah targets. "Currently striking Hezbollah terror targets in Beirut," the Israeli military declared early on Wednesday. Since last week, Israel has been bombing Beirut's southern suburbs on several occasions, claiming to be targeting Hezbollah locations in this heavily populated area.
According to a Lebanese security source, at least five Israeli strikes occurred in Beirut's southern suburbs early on Wednesday. The Israeli military claimed to be targeting Hezbollah locations and issued multiple orders for evacuation. “At least five Israeli strikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs,” said the source, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
However, International calls to stop the "broadening conflict in the Middle East" were spearheaded by UN chief Antonio Guterres, who declared in a statement that "this must stop." There must be a ceasefire. Tehran had mostly abstained from direct attacks on its regional adversary, even though Iran-backed groups throughout the region had already been dragged into the Gaza war, which was started by the Palestinian organization Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. “I am extremely concerned with the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and appeal for an immediate ceasefire. An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected,” said Guterres.
The Israeli military announced early on Tuesday that soldiers had begun "targeted ground raids" in south Lebanon, which is across Israel's northern border. This sparked an increase in hostilities. The action was taken in spite of mounting calls for a de-escalation following a week of airstrikes that left hundreds dead in Lebanon.
Following the latest Israeli strikes, the health ministry of Lebanon announced that another fifty-five people had died in Lebanon on Tuesday. According to Lebanon's disaster management agency, 1,873 people have died since October 7, 2023, when the Gaza war broke out and Israel and Hezbollah started exchanging cross-border gunfire.
Iran has declared that Israel called for "destruction" as a result of Nasrallah's death, but on Monday, the foreign ministry of Tehran declared that Tehran would not send troops to fight Israel. The Pentagon announced that the US was adding "few thousand" more soldiers to its force in the Middle East.
The Israeli offensive in Lebanon was described by the UN peacekeeping force as not qualifying as a "ground incursion," and Hezbollah refuted reports that any troops had crossed the border.
After almost a year of cross-border fighting, Israel claims it wants to destroy Hezbollah's military capabilities and bring security back to the north, where tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee. The group supported by Iran, which sustained significant losses in a series of assaults last month, claimed to have attacked Israeli military installations on Tuesday. According to the civil defense agency in Gaza, 19 people were killed on Tuesday by Israeli bombs. According to the military, on Tuesday, "dozens" of Palestinians in central Gaza were shot by troops who believed they posed a "immediate threat." It said that at least some were impacted.
According to official Israeli figures, 1,205 people died as a result of Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, the majority of whom were civilians. These figures also include the deaths of hostages during captivity. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,638 people in Gaza, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
A day after its Palestinian ally Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, which set off Israel's devastating assault on Gaza, Hezbollah started low-intensity strikes on Israeli troops.
Since September 17, more than 1,000 people have died in Lebanon as a result of the worsening violence, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad. Up to a million people may have been uprooted from their homes in Lebanon, according to Prime Minister Najib Mikati, as nearly 240,000 people have crossed into Syria since September 23.
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