 "Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. File Image / Reuters")
Tensions between Iran and Israel seem to escalate as the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said that Iran has launched over 100 rockets at Israel in the past few hours. The escalation also affects other countries in West Asia. In light of the ongoing tussle, Jordan has closed its airspace to all flights, anticipating more attacks.
“In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and all the defence systems are acting to intercept the threats," Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin, the chief army spokesman, said in a statement.
Earlier today, Iran’s military and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to retaliate against the Israeli attack , insisting that the Jewish nation would face a “bitter and painful” fate.
The first signs of Iranian retaliation
In the first signs of counterstrikes, Israel said that Iran had launched 100 drones towards Israel and that its air defences were intercepting them outside Israeli territory. Soon after the incident, neighbouring Jordan said its air force and defence systems had intercepted several missiles and drones that had entered its airspace, raising concerns about a conflict spillover.
The Iranian leadership vowed both a military and diplomatic response, saying women and children had been killed in the strikes across Iran. In a furious statement, the Iranian government accused Israel of terrorism and insisted the attack demonstrated it “does not adhere to any international rules or laws and, like a drunkard, openly and brazenly engages in terror and ignites the flames of war before the eyes of the world, including westerners who claim to uphold human rights and international law."
“Starting a war with Iran is playing with the lion’s tail,” the statement added. The statement also argued why the country would now be trying to assemble a nuclear bomb in the face of Israel’s attacks, the statement further said: “The world now better understands Iran’s insistence on the right to enrichment, nuclear technology and missile power, and the enemy has made it possible to prove our injustice and righteousness, who is the aggressor and which regime is threatening the security of the region." The world will now be looking at how Iran will response to the Israeli attack.