Iranian strikes against Israel: what happened and why did Iran attack?

What did Iran get?

Tehran deployed ballistic missiles, which use trajectories outside or near the limits of Earth’s atmosphere, in the attack. It used similar weapons against Israel earlier this year.

This time, it said it had also deployed hypersonic missiles with an estimated maximum speed of 10,000 mph.

Moment when hundreds of Iranian missiles fly over Israel – video

Why did Iran attack?

Although the details of the timing and nature of the attack were not known in advance, it did not come as a surprise.

World powers have for months been predicting a “regional escalation” following Israel’s war on Gaza, in which Israel killed 40,000 Palestinians. This followed an attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. Israel is now fighting genocide allegations in the world’s highest court.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have now expanded their war into Lebanon, which they are bombing heavily.

IDF asked dozens of villages to evacuate north of the Awali River

Lebanon is home to Iran’s main regional ally, Hezbollah, which has fired rockets into northern Israel in response to the bloodshed in Gaza.

Last week, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon, killing dozens of people and injuring thousands more, including civilians. On Friday, Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In July, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the Iranian capital – an attack attributed to Israel.

Israeli attacks have devastated the southern suburbs of Beirut, the capital, as well as villages in the south of the country. At least 1 million people in Lebanon – a fifth of the population – are now displaced.

The United States has warned of escalation, but at the same time has supported Israel’s attacks both diplomatically – by making its case to international institutions such as the UN – and materially, by sending it the bombs and weapons they used to kill thousands of people.

What damage did Iranian missiles cause?

A man takes photos of a destroyed building that was hit in an Iranian missile attack in Hod Hasharon, Israel, October 2. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP

The impact of the damage is still being assessed.

No injuries were reported in Israel, but one person was killed in the occupied West Bank, authorities said. There are many images of craters in central and southern Israel.

Iran said the attack targeted military installations, but at least one rocket hit an Israeli school.

US President Joe Biden called the Iranian attack “ineffective”.