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On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a threat to launch “devastating assaults” on Israel in the event of retaliation for an Iranian missile strike.
“If the Zionist regime reacts to Iranian operations, it will face crushing attacks,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
The IRGC said the attack was “in accordance with the United Nations Charter”.
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It said the missile attack came “after a period of restraint” following an “attack on the sovereignty” of Iran — a reference to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
The IRGC said the missile attacks targeted “three military bases” around Tel Aviv as well as air and radar bases, adding that “90 percent” of the missiles “hit their targets”.
Later, Iran’s armed forces warned against any direct military intervention by other countries in support of Israel, saying their “interests in the region will also face a powerful attack”.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s “action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation”.
The United States had earlier warned of an imminent Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, and said it would have “severe” consequences for Tehran.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the country’s “decisive response” to what he called the Israeli “aggression”.
Iranian media carried online footage of what they said were missiles being fired at Israel.
State television played upbeat music over the footage as its newscaster spoke of “the brave Iranian people”.
It broadcast images of residents of Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, celebrating the missile attack in the streets, waving the yellow flag of Hezbollah and portraits of the Lebanese group’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Similar celebrations took place in the capital Tehran and in several provincial cities.
Tuesday’s attack was Iran’s second on Israel, after a missile and drone attack in April in retaliation for a deadly Israeli air strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.
Nearly all of the missiles and drones fired in that attack were intercepted by Israel or its allies.
An Israeli air strike on Beirut on Friday killed Nasrallah, whose militant group has been armed and financed by Iran for years.
Nasrallah was killed alongside General Abbas Nilforoushan, a top commander of the Quds Force, the IRGC’s foreign operations arm.
Iran vowed that Nilforoushan’s killing would “not go unanswered”.
