Iran's missile attack on Israel: What happened and what to expect next

For its part, Iran has warned Israel against responding to its attack, threatening to launch further missiles at the country if it retaliates | Photo: Shutterstock.com

5 min read Last Updated : Oct 02 2024 | 1:38 PM IST

Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night, in the latest escalation amid weeks of soaring violence and tensions in the region, sending almost 10 million people into bomb shelters.

Iran launched some 181 missiles in the strike, according to Israeli officials cited by The Times of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that it had intercepted "a large number" of them.

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During the Iranian attack, a Palestinian from Gaza was reportedly killed by shrapnel in Jericho in the West Bank. Meanwhile, only two Israelis were lightly wounded by falling shrapnel and debris that caused damage and started fires in the area. However, unverified videos and photos circulating on social media showed a number of craters caused by impacts of either the Iranian missiles or their debris.

Based on reporting by international media, including Al Jazeera and The Times of Israel, here's what we know about Iran's attack and what could come next:

What happened during Iran's missile attack?

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that the missiles were aimed at "vital military and security targets" in Israel.

Subsequently, the IRGC said that the missile salvo was aimed specifically at three military bases in Israel's Tel Aviv area.

Iranian state media said that the attack, which it claimed was accompanied by a large-scale cyberattack, employed Iran's new Fatah hypersonic ballistic missiles for the first time.

Alarms sounded across Israel on Tuesday night as the Iranian missiles were seen in the skies over major cities and towns.

Explosions were heard across much of Israel, from Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, according to The Times of Israel.

Israel and its ally, the United States (US), said their militaries worked together to shoot down most of the Iranian projectiles.

Specifically, the IDF said it intercepted "a large number" of the 180 ballistic missiles launched by Iran, but that there were "isolated" impacts in central Israel and several more impacts in southern Israel.

Israel's air defences were "effective", the IDF reportedly said.

The IDF emphasised that there was no damage to the "competence" of the Israeli Air Force in the attack, and said the IAF's aircraft, air defences, and air traffic control were operating normally.

Meanwhile, the IRGC has reportedly claimed that 90 per cent of the projectiles fired hit their targets.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the American military "coordinated closely" with its Israeli counterparts to shoot down the projectiles.

The US participated in the defence of Israel, both by detecting the threat from Iran ahead of time and intercepting some of the missiles, according to The Times of Israel.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Sullivan said that US naval ships also fired interceptors to shoot down the inbound Iranian missiles.

Sullivan said that no deaths were reported in Israel. "Based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective," he added.

Why did Iran attack Israel?

Iran said it fired the missiles into Israel in retaliation for attacks that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Iranian military.

Iran referenced Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut.

Iran also mentioned Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July.

What could come next after Iran missile attack?

Soon after the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran that it had made "a big mistake" and "will pay for it".

"The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Israeli media.

"(Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar and (top Hamas military commander Muhammad) Deif did not understand this, Nasrallah and (Hezbollah chief of staff Fuad) Shukr did not understand this, and there are probably those in Tehran who do not understand this," Netanyahu reportedly added.

"They will understand," Netanyahu threatened, stressing that "whoever attacks us, we will attack him".

Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israel is "fully prepared to defend and retaliate" against Iran's attack, stressing that it would be in a "timely manner".

Sullivan told reporters that US President Joe Biden's administration "made clear that there will be consequences — severe consequences — for this attack" by Iran, and that the US "will work with Israel to make that the case".

For its part, Iran has warned Israel against responding to its attack, threatening to launch further missiles at the country if it retaliates.

A previous attack using 300 missiles and drones in April — the first-ever direct Iranian attack on Israel — was also thwarted with the help of the US and other Israeli allies. While Israel had responded at the time with airstrikes inside Iran, wider escalation was averted.

First Published: Oct 02 2024 | 1:38 PMIST