 "Israel's Iron Dome breached, Iran's ballistic missiles hit Tel Aviv; several casualties reported")
Iran launched a massive retaliatory strike against Israel, with several of its ballistic missiles raining down on Tel Aviv on Friday morning. The move was seen as a retaliation for Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, in which it targeted multiple Iranian nuclear and military infrastructures, eliminating the country’s top military brass.
Amid the Iranian strikes, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement in which he warned that “more is on the way” and said that Israel’s attempt to destroy the Iranian nuclear program is just the beginning. Later on Friday, both Iranian and Israeli media reported on Tehran’s missile attacks over Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, in northern Tehran, residents reported frequent explosions, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. Earlier on Friday, an Israeli military spokesperson said that Iran had fired up to 100 drones in waves earlier in the evening. The military mentioned that more of these drones were intercepted or missed their intended targets. However, multiple reports suggested that some of these drones appeared to penetrate Israel’s multi-tiered defences.
Tel Aviv under attack
At around 9 pm (local time), the sounds of sirens took over Tel Aviv, with residents’ phones buzzing with urgent alerts. Half an hour later, the city echoed with the mid-air explosions of the Arrow missile defence systems taking out some of the Iranian arsenal, with debris landing on the ground.
However, the Israeli Iron Dome was intercepted after one of the Iranian missiles hit a high-rise residential building near the heart of Tel Aviv, shattering windows down most of the facade, and reducing the worst-hit areas to a tangle of exposed twisted steel bars. Firefighters reached the spot as they navigated through the rubble in the region.
According to The Times of Israel, as of now, at least 2 people are confirmed to be critically injured. Meanwhile, Emergency services said that they were called to at least five impact sites, and by 10 pm (local time) there were reports of 15 people wounded in the Tel Aviv area.
Impact Shorts
View AllIt is pertinent to note that the Iranian barrage began soon after a televised address from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who pledged: “The armed forces of the Islamic Republic will inflict heavy blows upon this malevolent enemy.” He warned that the consequences of Israel’s attack “will bring it to ruin”.
Before this, the new head of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Pakpour – hastily appointed after his predecessor was killed in Israel’s attack – threatened to open “the gates of hell” in retaliation, as West Asia feared a full-scale war of uncertain duration.
Israel slams Iran
Soon after the Iranian attack, Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, accused Tehran of crossing “red lines” by attacking civilian areas. However, it is pertinent to note that some of Israel’s strikes earlier in the day hit residential parts of Iranian cities. “We will continue to defend the citizens of Israel and ensure that the Ayatollah regime pays a very heavy price for its heinous actions,” Katz said in a statement.
Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeid, told the Security Council that 78 people, including senior officials, had been killed in the Israeli attacks and that more than 320 were injured, most of them civilians.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu issued a separate video statement on Friday night. “In the past 24 hours, we have taken out top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime’s most significant enrichment facility and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal. More is on the way. The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker," the Israeli premier said in the statement. More attacks from both sides are anticipated as tensions between two of the most powerful West Asian countries escalate.
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