Iran Targets Israel With Missile Barrage

Last updated on October 1st, 2024 at 04:22 pm

The Israeli military reported a barrage of missile fire from Iran on the evening of Oct. 1, several hours after Israeli forces reported entering southern Lebanon.

“A short time ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel. You are asked to remain vigilant and follow the Home Front Command’s instructions precisely,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in Tuesday.

Hagari reported Israeli air defense systems have begun to engage the incoming munitions, but warned that these air defenses are not airtight.

“You may hear explosions, which could be the result of interceptions or impacts,” Hagari added. “Due to the variety of threats, alarms may be triggered in widespread areas. Stay updated on the instructions via the official pages of the Home Front Command and the IDF Spokesperson.”

The reported Iranian missile fire comes after the Israeli military reported its ground forces had entered parts of southern Lebanon in the early morning hours on Tuesday.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement through Iranian state news channels on Tuesday, stating the Iranian missile strikes were in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh while he visited Iran in July and the assassination of Hezbollah political leader Hassan Nasrallah last week.

The start of Iran’s missile attack against the occupied territories, the sky of Arak pic.twitter.com/Cbl2lL5SVN

— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) October 1, 2024

Israel did not officially claim responsibility for the bomb blast that killed Haniyeh, but Iran and Hamas both declared Israel responsible.

Israeli forces did claim responsibility for the air strike that killed Nasrallah.

The IRGC said the missile launches were also in retaliation for a strike that killed IRGC Brig. Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan, the Iranian formation’s military advisor in Lebanon. Nilforoushan was reportedly killed in an Israeli air strike on Sept. 27.

The IRGC threatened that if Israel responds to the latest Iranian barrage, Iran would launch further “heavy attacks.”

The Iranian mission to the United Nations issued a statement on Tuesday evening, reporting it had concluded its military action against Israel after about an hour and a half of missile launches.

Following the attack, Hagari reported the IDF conducted “quite a few interceptions” but that missiles landed in areas of central and southern Israel.

Hagari said the IDF is not aware of any casualties following this barrage.

Israelis sheltered from a wave of Iranian missiles and drones in April. The Iranian government ordered the April 13 attacks in response to what it concluded was an Israeli airstrike that struck an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. U.S. aircraft assisted in intercepting the April Iranian barrage.