Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, in apparent retaliation for the deaths of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. According to reports fox newsThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warned its citizens to shelter in place and follow instructions as the Jewish state's Iron Dome anti-missile defense system was activated to intercept incoming rockets.
“We conducted a significant number of interceptions during our defense,” IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said after the attack. “There is some impact in the central and southern regions of the country.”
Israel is still investigating the Iranian attack, Hagari added, but officials “do not know the number of casualties.”
U.S. defense officials said in a statement to Fox News that U.S. forces in the region are defending against Iranian barrage against Israel.
“In accordance with our nation's unwavering commitment to Israel's security, U.S. forces in the region are currently defending against Iranian-launched missiles targeting Israel,” the official said. “Our military remains ready to provide additional defense support and protect U.S. forces operating in the region.”
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said this latest missile barrage was linked to an Israeli airstrike late last week that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. He said the attack was carried out in retaliation for the killing. Trey Yingst, chief foreign correspondent for Fox News;
Additionally, Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned in a statement published by Iranian state media that Israel “will face a devastating attack” if it responds to the missile barrage.
Early Tuesday morning, a senior White House official told Fox News that Iran was preparing “imminently” for a ballistic missile attack on Israel. The decision follows weeks of Israeli attacks on Iranian government proxies in the region.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing imminently for a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” the official said. “We are actively supporting defense preparations to protect Israel from this attack. A direct military attack on Israel from Iran would have serious consequences for Iran.”
Meanwhile, another U.S. official earlier told Fox News that an Iranian attack could take place as early as Tuesday afternoon, adding that the U.S. is preparing for an “imminent” attack by deploying additional missiles inside Iran. He said he is confirming the move.
The official added that Iran's missile attack could be similar to the one launched in April against Israel, which had more than 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
The exact scope and scale of the attack remains unclear, but Iran has launched several attacks on Israel within 12 to 24 hours since early August, following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. They were eager to launch an attack, officials said.
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