WWIII FEARS HEIGHTEN AFTER ISRAEL VOWS REVENGE ON IRAN FOR MISSILE ATTACK

Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate against Iran after it launched missile strikes against Israel.

The Israeli prime minister said Iran had ‘made a big mistake’ and ‘will pay for it’.

Iran has vowed ‘vast destruction’ if Israel – or its Western allies – retaliate to its attack, which saw a salvo of some 200 ballistic missiles rain on Israel.

This was the latest tit-for-tat threat between Iran and Israel, pushing the Middle East one step closer to an all-out war.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned earlier: ‘Iran made a big error tonight – and it will pay for it.

‘There is also a deliberate and murderous hand behind this attack – it comes from Tehran.

‘We will stand by the rule we established: whoever attacks us – we will attack him.’

He added that the assault had ‘failed’, amid claims from Iran that said some 90% of the missiles hit intended targets.

Sirens blared across Israel after Iran deployed the ‘Fattah’-1 hypersonic medium-range ballistic, which were first unveiled in 2023.

Dozens of projectiles were seen in the sky heading westward towards Jerusalem and Israel after an earlier warning from the White House that an assault from Iran is ‘imminent’.

Explosions from interceptions, fallen projectiles and some direct impacts sounded as civilians rushed to take shelter.

Iranian state media reported that the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) destroyed the infamous Arrow air defence radar in Israel, which had been developed specifically to stop Iran’s arsenal.

It was confirmed that US president Joe Biden directed the military to help Israel’s defences and shoot down the missiles, the White House National Security Council said on Tuesday.

British citizens in Israel described the strikes as ‘terrifying’ and ‘harrowing’ as they sought shelter in a safe rooms.

Gaby Young, 39, who is the sister of Nathanel Young who was killed on the Gaza border following the attacks of October 7, found shelter in a safe room with her husband and children.

Ms Young, who is originally from Southgate, in London, but now lives in Ra’anana,described hearing loud ‘booms’ of explosions.

Speaking moments after leaving her safe room, she said: ‘The booms we heard were absolutely terrifying. We’ve got songs and YouTube to distract our children and we’re trying to stay calm ourselves, but we’re not calm.

‘We heard at least 10 booms at a time, some of them closer and some of them further away.

‘Unfortunately, it’s become part of everyday life, and obviously today was a lot more worrying because it’s a different level of the types of rockets that were used, coming from Iran directly, which are thousands and thousands of miles (away).

‘I guess the only reason we’re fortunate or lucky is that we have the infrastructure that we have are safe rooms and safe places to go and shelters.’

Ms Young received a phone alert telling her she had ‘a minute and a half to get to a protected space’.

A senior Iranian official quoted by Reuters said that both the US and Russia were alerted through diplomatic channels ‘shortly before the attacks’.

Some of the weapons are reported to have targeted tanks located at the so-called Netzarim Corridor, set up to split northern Gaza from the south in the early days of Israel’s war on Palestine.

A barrage of missiles flew over central Jordan to reach Israeli territory after what is understood to be a direct order to launch was made by the Supreme Leader of Ali Khamenei.

He was moved to a secure location after Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader and his ally, Hassan Nasrallah, last week.

Glaring blasts were also heard in the Jordan Valley, on the border between Jordan and the West Bank.

The orange tails of missiles were also visible from Egypt, and social media users in El Arish, near the border with Gaza, posted footage online capturing the moment of the attack.

A statement from the IRGC said: ‘In response to the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and Martyr Nilfroshan, we targeted the heart of the occupied territories.’

Iran also warned that if Israel reacts to its operations, it will face ‘crushing attacks’, adding that a second wave is reportedly ‘coming’.

A further comment from the Islamic Republic’s mission to the United Nations in New York said the attack is ‘legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of Israel’.

Around 10 million people, the whole population of Israel, had been told to hide as the air defence systems continued to intercept strikes.

Falling shrapnel from a missile is confirmed to have killed a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, Jericho’s governor said.

In an update, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that approximately 180 weapons were fired from Iran towards Israel.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said he was not aware of any injuries resulting from the attacks.

He added that people are now allowed leave shelters in all areas of the country.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Iran’s attack appeared to have been defeated, although President Biden’s administration was still monitoring a ‘fluid’ situation.

Israel’s airspace was closed for about two hours and incoming flights were being diverted to airports outside the country. Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon also shut their airspaces for several hours. 

Sir Keir Starmer said Britain stands with Israel and backs s the ‘reasonable demand for the security of its people’ after the attack.

The prime minister said he was ‘deeply concerned that the region is on the brink’.

As he urged British nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson announces that more neighbourhoods in southern Beirut are going to be bombed in the coming hours.

Avichay Adraee shared maps of the area, asking residents of marked building to evacuate, at 12.30am when may families would be asleep.

The US – which is an ally of Israel and has committed to a $8.7 billion military aid package – said earlier today it is s actively supporting preparations to defend it against threats from Iran.

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned the Islamic Republic of ‘severe consequences’ if an attack takes place in the coming hours.

Why are Iran and Israel sworn enemies?

The relationship between Iran and Israel is marked by strategic rivalry, rooted in ideological, political, and regional power struggles.

The two countries were allies, cooperating in trade and security, and in fact, Iran was one of the first nations to recognise Israel as a sovereign state.

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which transformed Iran from a monarchy into an Islamic Republic, opposition to Israel became a core part of its foreign policy.

Eager to grow its influence across the Middle East, Iran’s leadership began backing anti-Israel militant groups, including Hezbollah, which it helped establish in Lebanon in the 1980s.

Since 1985, Iran and Israel have been engaged in an ongoing conflict that has greatly affected the geopolitics of the region, and has included direct military confrontations between Iranian and Israeli organisations.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israeli military spokesperson, told a televised briefing that air defence systems are fully prepared for any strike from Iran – but no threat has been identified at present.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem moved all its government employees and family members ‘to shelter in place until further notice’ because of ‘the current security situation’.

The US warning comes as Israel is understood to have launched a ground invasion into south Lebanon after weeks of bombardments across the country, including in Beirut.

The Israeli military described it as ‘limited, localised and targeted’ but Hezbollah denies that Israeli forces have crossed into theterritory.

The US military on Sunday warned Iran against expanding the conflict and said it was increasing air support capabilities in the region and putting soldiers on standby.

Any attack would significantly raise the risk of an all-out war between Israel and Iran, including its proxies across the Middle East.

As the two nations have been moving closer to a direct confrontation for almost a year.

Iran has been put on the hot seat to respond to Israel’s bloodshed in Lebanon, in which more than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed and 6,000 wounded in the last two weeks.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages on Tuesday, and Hezbollah fighters responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Tel Aviv.

An Israeli airstrike also levelled a residential building near Beirut, causing damage and blowing out windows in the area.

The bombardment appeared to hit an apartment about 100 meters from Iran’s Embassy. There was no immediate word on casualties.

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Anticipating more rocket attacks from Hezbollah, the Israeli army announced new restrictions on public gatherings and shut beaches in northern and central Israel.

The military also said it was calling up thousands more reserve soldiers to serve on the northern border.

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