Missile Showdown: How Will Israel Strike Back Against Iran? 

Israel's anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. Credit | Reuters
Israel's anti-missile system intercepts rockets after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel. Credit | Reuters

United States: Gulf tensions rise to boiling point as Israel hinted at retaliation for Iran’s massive attack with ballistic missiles that struck the country on Tuesday night in unprecedented acts of war in the Middle East. 

More about the news 

Iran launched a wave of about 200 ballistic missiles toward Israeli military targets, which was the largest missile attack by Iran, causing air raid sirens across the nation and activating the Israeli anti-missile defenses. 

The leadership in Iran explained that the attack was intended to be a warning not to engage in direct war with its long-time enemy because even a reaction to the barrage of attacks would be met with “more powerful blows.” 

Escalation after a ground war in Lebanon 

It emerged a day after a ground war in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed rebel group, and days after the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on Beirut, CNN reported. 

A demonstrator holds a sign showing the face of Hezbollah's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, during a celebratory rally after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel. Credit | Getty Images
A demonstrator holds a sign showing the face of Hezbollah’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, during a celebratory rally after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel. Credit | Getty Images

The Tuesday attack added a new turn in the conflict, moving from Iran proxy wars to direct confrontation between two of the most powerful regional armies. 

An Israeli military source spoke to CNN and said several Iranian missiles targeted Israeli military installations during the strike but clarified that there was no significant damage to the installations. 

This is the second time a strike from Iran has been conducted on Israel this year, but this week’s assault was on a much larger scale. 

About previous attacks 

In April, Iran conducted a major drone and missile attack on Israel – the first direct aggression from Iran soil to Israel ten days after a presumed Israeli air raid on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria. 

That assault came after Iran provided 72 hours’ notice, which critics noted was intended to avoid causing many deaths but also ensure maximal showmanship since nearly all of the 300 projectiles launched by Israel were intercepted by the Jewish state’s defenses. 

Next week, Israel followed a week later with a limited attack against Iran. 

This time, Israel found out about the attack plans hours before Tehran was to launch the strikes; the intended targets were the headquarters of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, Tel Aviv – the second largest city in Israel, Nevatim Air Base, and Tel Nof Air Base. 

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Iran’s today’s barrage was twice as large as the April attack. It also stored many more ballistic missiles, which were difficult to intercept, threatening the lives of Israeli citizens, CNN reported. 

While the Israeli military also mentioned that most of the missiles were intercepted, some landed on Israeli soil and appeared to cause damage. 

Shock waves caused by the attack posed damage to homes in central Israel, authorities in the country said.