Iran Launches Missiles at Israel

UPDATE Oct 1, 2024 12:00 PM CDT

Iran's expected strike on Israel has begun. "A short while ago, missiles were launched from Iran to Israel," the Israeli military said in a statement, per the New York Times. Air raid sirens could be heard in major cities including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and flashes in the sky showed Israel's defense system at work. It will take time to gauge the ferocity of the assault, as well as damage.

Oct 1, 2024 10:11 AM CDT

Amid Israel's steady bombardment of Lebanon, followed by new ground incursions, one "mystery" has been why Iran has remained so quiet while its ally has been attacked, wrote David Leonhardt in the New York Times on Tuesday morning. The mystery may be over soon: The White House says it now expects Iran to launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel "imminently," reports the Wall Street Journal. While there was no indication of exactly when it might happen, the US government has told American government employees in Israel to shelter in place.

• "We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack," said an unnamed White House official quoted by the Washington Post and other outlets. "A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran."
• An Iran strike threatens to further widen the Mideast conflict. At the UN last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned, "If you strike us, we will strike you," per the Journal.
• So why has Iran stayed on the sidelines this long? The Leonhardt analysis noted above digs into various possibilities, including: "The biggest explanation appears to be simply that Iran is weaker than it wants the world to believe. And its leaders may recognize that they would fare badly in a wider war."

(More Iran stories.)