Iran launched missiles toward Israel, Israel’s Defense Forces said in a short statement Tuesday as it urged Israelis to enter bomb shelters.
The move was the latest escalation in a weeks-long skirmish between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, and comes days before the the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel. It also comes just as the Jewish high holiday Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Wednesday.
Sirens were sounding across Israel. The IDF said it was working to intercept the missiles.
Earlier, a White House official warned that Iran was preparing to launch an “imminent” ballistic missile attack on Israel.
The Pentagon is actively supporting Israel in its preparations to defend against the attack, according to the official who was not authorized to speak publicly. A direct attack on Israel will carry “severe consequences for Iran,” the official said.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Tuesday directed government employees and their family members to “shelter in place until further notice.” A short while before Iran launched its attack there were multiple casualties in a shooting incident in Tel Aviv that police said appeared to be terror-related.
The indications of an imminent attack follow Israel’s aggressive airstrikes and covert attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli troops crossed into Lebanon for the first time since 2006. The Israeli military said it was conducting a “localized and targeted” ground operation on Hezbollah command posts and weapons storage sites.
Iran has also been threatening to attack Israel since August, when Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in a Tehran apartment building.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday that the U.S. informed Israel of Iran’s intention.
He said Israel has dealt with Iran’s “threat” in the past, adding, “we’ll deal with it now.” Israel’s military is “patrolling the skies” and, along with the U.S., is watching developments in Iran closely, he added.
“Iranian fire on the state of Israel will have consequences,” he said.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israelis to follow military directives. Israel’s restrictions on large gatherings would be tightened, he said.
Israel has pummeled Lebanon with airstrikes in the last two weeks, killing more than 1,000 people, according to the country’s health ministry. The escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, the largest in nearly a year, was triggered by an Israeli operation that exploded thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies across the country.
In April, Iran launched a barrage of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel. With U.S. and western allies, Israel shot down almost all of them.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei called for five days of mourning on Sept. 28 for his ally Nasrallah and was moved to a secure location, a second U.S. official said.
Tehran has in the past used mourning periods for operational planning, this person said.
Even as Israel, the U.S., and other allies prepared for a ballistic missile strike on Tuesday, an official noted Tehran could take longer to respond − opting to rebuild Hezbollah’s leadership before striking back.
Hezbollah has been firing missiles and rockets into Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis.
Hezbollah is financially backed by Iran and is part of its “axis of resistance,” a network of groups across the region that it funds and provides with weapons, including the Houthis in Yeman and Hamas in Gaza.
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