Iran attacks Israel with missiles amid military escalation in the Middle East

Jerusalem/Beirut, Oct 1 (EFE).- Iran launched dozens of missiles against Israeli territory on Tuesday in the midst of a regional war escalation that has led the United States to come to the defense of Israel following the decision of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to activate a ground invasion against southern Lebanon.

After days of growing regional tension, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard confirmed this Tuesday the launch of missiles against Israel in response to the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah, and an Iranian general.

“With the firing of dozens of ballistic missiles, the targets in the heart of the occupied territories have been hit,” the elite military body said in a statement.

“We warn that if the Zionist regime responds militarily to this operation it will be counterattacked in a more forceful manner,” added the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Iran’s representation at the United Nations also referred to the attack, ensuring that a “legal, rational and legitimate” response has been given to the attacks of the “Zionist regime” and reiterating the warning in case of a response from Israel.

Alarms rang throughout Israel and millions of people had to take refuge in bunkers from the Iranian attack.

In a brief statement, the White House reported that US President Joe Biden ordered the US Armed Forces to shoot down the missiles that Iran is launching at Israel.

He added that the president and Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, are meeting with the national security team in the White House crisis room, where they are receiving briefings on Iran’s attacks.

As explained by the White House, Biden has instructed the US Armed Forces to help in the “defense” of Israel against Iranian attacks and shoot down the missiles that are falling on Israeli territory.

Attack with regional impact

Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq temporarily closed their airspace to all aircraft arriving, departing and crossing the country due to Iran’s attack against Israel, official sources announced.

The head of the Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority, Haizam Mastu, said the decision was made “after escalation in the area, which may cause damage affecting the air operation as well as the safety of passengers.”

Mastu indicated that this decision “will be reviewed in accordance with current developments and the assessment of the danger level.”

In parallel, the Houthis also claimed to have carried out three attacks on Tuesday against two ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, including a British oil tanker, in a significant escalation of their operations against Yemen’s vital sea routes. .

In a televised statement, the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said its naval forces, missile unit and air force carried out coordinated attacks against two ships.

While all this was happening, the main stock market indices in Europe and the United States suffered from increases in the prices of oil and safe haven assets such as the dollar, gold and the bonds of the most solid countries, and the main stock market indices in Europe were weighed down. Europe and the USA

Brent, the reference crude oil in Europe, which fell more than 2% and had lost the level of 70 dollars per barrel, has turned around and is now rising strongly.

A military ground operation in Lebanon with an uncertain impact

The Israeli Army announced its incursion into border areas of southern Lebanon with orders to the population to move away from the area, where it assured that there was “intense fighting”, while the Shiite militia Hezbollah responded by launching the first rocket attacks against territory of Israel and the Lebanese Government remains silent about the scope of the invasion.

With warnings to the population and accusations against Hezbollah, the Israeli Army began at night “limited, localized and selective ground raids, based on precise information, against Hezbollah’s terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon”, an operation that It has air and artillery coverage.

However, in the afternoon, Hezbollah denied that the Israeli Army had carried out “dozens” of border incursions and had entered some of the tunnels dug by the formation in southern Lebanon in the last year, something that it denounced as a form of part of Israel’s “psychological warfare.”

“These videos and photographs are very old and have no relation to the current military action on the Lebanese border,” Hezbollah said in a statement, in response to graphic material released this Tuesday by Israeli forces about their operations.

Shortly before Iran’s attack, a terrorist attack occurred that left at least six people dead and nine injured in the Jaffa neighborhood, near the tram station, south of Tel Aviv.

A police spokesman indicated that the “terrorists”, with firearms and knives, began their attack on the tram and continued on foot along Jerusalem Street, until they were shot by police officers and civilians armed with pistols.

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