Iran launches massive attack against the capital of Israel

In a dramatic escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel's capital, Tel Aviv, this Friday, in response to Israeli bombings on nuclear facilities and Iranian military targets that killed three senior commanders of the Armed Forces.

The deafening sound of air raid sirens and the roar of explosions shook several Israeli cities, especially Tel Aviv, the country's economic hub.

Journalists from the AP agency reported direct hits from Iranian missiles, while emergency teams reported at least five people injured.

The videos show images of panic, people running towards missile shelters, and columns of smoke rising into the sky. Dozens of them have been shared on social media and local media, while analysts have described the attack as one of the most aggressive since the beginning of the regional conflict.

Hours earlier, Israel had conducted a series of unprecedented airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting key sites of the nuclear program, military facilities, a refinery center, and reportedly eliminating three high-ranking Iranian military commanders. There were also reports of partial destruction of a ballistic missile base.

This operation, the most significant against Iran since the war with Iraq in the 1980s, was justified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “months-long plan to counter the existential threat posed by Iran.”

Sources from the United States Department of Defense confirmed that the country is assisting Israel in intercepting Iranian missiles.

Although the type of support was not specified, it is known that in previous offensives, the U.S. has deployed combat aircraft and defense systems from naval destroyers in the region.

Washington has deployed military assets to the Eastern Mediterranean and is on alert at its bases in the Gulf due to concerns about further escalation.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised immediate vengeance and asserted that Israel "will not escape unpunished for this great crime." From Tehran, it was warned that this is just the beginning of Iran's response.

Netanyahu, for his part, stated that his country will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear capabilities and noted that "every threat will be met with an even greater force."

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran to return to the negotiating table “before it’s too late,” as the international community watches with growing concern the risk of a large-scale regional war.

Trump stated this week that he had warned Iran about the consequences of not reaching an agreement and suggested that "there is still time to stop the massacre."

In his statements, the American asserted that he had given the Iranian regime multiple opportunities to negotiate and criticized them for not reaching an agreement. "I told them it would be far worse than they knew, anticipated, or had been told: that the United States makes the best and deadliest military equipment in the world, by far, and that Israel possesses a lot, and much more is on the way, and that it knows how to use it," he detailed.

The confrontation comes after weeks of rising tensions. Iran had announced the activation of a third nuclear enrichment facility shortly after being reprimanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for violating non-proliferation agreements.

At the same time, Israel is facing an internal political crisis, with a failed attempt to dissolve parliament, which some analysts interpret as a favorable context for high-impact military decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Conflict between Iran and Israel