Israel ASSERTS RETALIATION IMPLICITLY against Iran for orchestrating a significant missile assault against it.
CNN journalists in various Israeli locations witnessed numerous missiles soaring through the sky as alarms wailed nationwide. At least one fatality and several injuries were reported by the Israeli military following this incident.
IDF international spokesperson Nadav Shoshani shared with CNN's Jake Tapper that a Palestinian civilian loss of life occurred in Jericho due to the attacks.
Israel has insisted on retaliation for the assault, leading to concerns among its allies that the Middle East conflict could potentially escalate even further.
Hours post the assault, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "Iran made a grave mistake tonight - and they will pay for it. The Iranian regime fails to comprehend our determination to safeguard ourselves and our resolve to retaliate against our adversaries."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assumed that Iran discharged approximately 180 "projectiles" towards the nation. They claimed to have thwarted numerous missiles, although some did land inside Israel and the occupied West Bank.
Later that day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the Iranian attack was "effectively neutralized."
Although the attack concluded swiftly, it unquestionably intensified the already high tension. World leaders have continuously warned that the conflict between Israel and Iran's proxies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, could escalate into a wider regional war. Now, all eyes will be on Israel's response.
US President Joe Biden expressed his full support for Israel, but his administration is still deliberating on the appropriate response.
"We'll get all the facts straight. We're in continuous communication with the Israeli government and our counterparts. What will happen remains to be seen," Biden said.
Israel has been engaged in hostilities with Hamas in Gaza since the lethal terrorist assault carried out by the group on October 7, 2021, in Southern Israel. Thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza, with much of the area reduced to ruins.
While Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border fire for most of the past year, Iran initiated the barrage on Tuesday, mere hours after Israel announced the execution of a "limited and localized" ground operation in Lebanon. Infiltrating Israeli troops into Lebanon would have been perceived as a significant escalation by Iran.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that it targeted Israel in reprisal for the assassination of Nasrallah and others, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
After the missile barrage was launched, the Iranian mission to the United Nations confirmed that Tehran had carried out a response to "the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime."
The mission stated, "If Israel dares to respond or commit further acts of evil, a subsequent and devastating response will ensue."
US alerted about imminent assault
The White House issued an alert earlier on Tuesday, warning that Iran was preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel imminently, escalating fears of an all-out war in the region.
Tel Aviv and other cities residents were instructed to seek shelter or safe areas, and the general atmosphere on the streets was noticeably tense.
In a mid-morning statement, the White House announced that it had "indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel," adding that the United States was "assisting in the preparation of Israel's defense against this attack."
Israel believed that Iran was likely to attack three Israeli air bases and an intelligence base close to Tel Aviv, according to an individual informed before the attack. The IRGC declared that it targeted three Israeli military bases around Tel Aviv, as per the semi-official Iranian media outlet Mehr News.
The intelligence base in Glilot was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon, and the Israeli military devised contingency measures to safeguard personnel at those bases.
Two videos from the attack geolocated by CNN showed a multitude of Iranian missiles striking Nevatim airbase in southern Israel. CNN reached out to the IDF for comment on the videos but did not immediately receive a response.
Iran had aimed for the same base during a similar April 13 assault.
Israel contemplating its response
US and Arab diplomats have expressed concern over the scale of Israel's response. One of their major apprehensions is Israel potentially using an upcoming Iranian strike as an excuse to strike inside Iran, specifically against its nuclear facilities.
"There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that's true for the entire Middle East," Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated during his speech at the United Nations last week.
Initially, the US intended to offer assistance to Israel in intercepting anything Iran targeted at them, similar to how the US helped in April, when Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles towards Israel - the majority of which were successfully intercepted, according to a US official.
Following the attack, Biden commended the role the US played in thwarting Iran's missiles, calling it "defeated and ineffective."
"This demonstrates the capabilities of both the Israeli and U.S. militaries. It also symbolizes the meticulous planning between the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against the sudden attack we were foreseeing," he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris also denounced the attack and supported Biden's decision to mobilize the U.S. military to help Israel shoot down Iranian missiles.
Harris, who is the Democratic presidential nominee, stated that she was in the Situation Room earlier that day alongside Biden, receiving updates from their national security team, emphasizing, "the protection of US personnel in the region is our top priority."
Meanwhile, former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump argued that Iran launched the attack because "they no longer respect our country," and argued that the U.S. had lost its standing on the global stage due to Biden and Harris' leadership.
High-ranking figures from France, the UK, Germany, and the EU collectively criticize Iran's missile strikes on Israel, predicting severe repercussions for the surrounding area.
Keir Starmer, the UK's Prime Minister, blasted what he described as "Iran's regime's attempt to inflict harm on innocent Israelis" and "intensify this hazardous predicament" in the Middle East.
Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, issued a stern warning to Iran, cautioning against this perilous escalation.
She emphasized that Iran's missile attack was driving the region "deeper into the abyss."
Josep Borrell, the EU's leading diplomat, sounded the alarm for a "disastrous cycle of assaults and retaliation" that could swiftly spiral out of control.
This report has been updated with fresh information.
CNN's Pauline Lockwood and Niamh Kennedy provided additional reporting.
The escalation in the Middle East conflict, with Israel contemplating a strong response to Iran's missile attacks, has raised concerns among its international allies about potential political repercussions.
Given the heightened tensions following the missile barrage, global leaders are carefully monitoring Israel's political decisions to prevent a wider regional war.
