Looks like the Iranians have indeed “fooled around.” Just a few minutes ago, the IDF detected a launch of over 100 ballistic missiles from Iran heading toward Israel. Sirens are sounding across central and southern Israel at the moment, while their defenses and those of their allies attempt to parry the attack.ย
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There is no word yet as to whether this is the first wave or the only wave. Earlier reports suggested that Iran would only launch ballistic missiles, which have a much shorter flight time to targets in Israel than cruise missiles and drones.ย
Iran made sure to get video out of the launch for domestic consumption. Yashar Ali, who detests the mullah clique in Iran, has footage of it:
Islamic Republic of Iran launches ballistic missiles targeting Israel. pic.twitter.com/op9F2hLxU7
โ Yashar Ali ๐ (@yashar) October 1, 2024
CBS is providing video from Israel of what appear to be the missiles approaching their targets. If this is accurate, some of them hit:
BREAKING: The Israeli military says that Iran has fired missiles toward Israel. Video shows a barrage of projectiles headed toward the nation before explosions are heard. https://t.co/VUyTeD30yR pic.twitter.com/TGmJJ0onIZ
โ CBS News (@CBSNews) October 1, 2024
We don’t know that’s the case yet, of course. There are also quite a few interceptions as well. Some of what appears to be falling to earth might just be flaming wreckage.ย
We’ll have more as developments emerge. In the meantime, Israeli security forces are dealing with a terrorist shooting in Jaffa:
Medics are responding to reports of a shooting with several casualties in Jaffa in south Tel Aviv.
The incident is reported on Jerusalem Street in the city next to a light rail train station.
Police say the shooting in Jaffa is a suspected terror attack. Medics say there are several casualties in the apparent attack.
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The timing could be coincidental, but it certainly puts Israeli security forces at greater risk as the missiles fly.ย
Update: The IDF reports “multiple impact sites,” although what actually impacted is not yet clear:
Multiple impact sites have been reported of either shrapnel or rocket impacts in Tel Aviv, near the Dead Sea, in the south and in the Sharon region. No injuries have been reported yet although Israelis have all been ordered to shelter.
The IDF also warns that Iran’s missiles are still coming in. It’s not clear if that means another wave of launches, or just timing within the initial launch.ย
Update: The Jerusalem Post may have just answered that question. The attack was much larger than first reported, and that at least one got through to Tel Aviv:
Some 400 rockets were launched onto Israel on Tuesday night by Iran, the Jerusalem Post understands, following rocket sirens across the country.
Magen David Adom’s CEO Eli Bin announced that there was a direct hit to a building in north Tel Aviv, on George Weiss street.
Here’s more video, although this looks like wreckage from intercepts falling to the ground:
ืชืืขืื: ื ืคืืืช ืฉืืจื ืืืืจืืื ืืืืืื ืืื ืืืื@rubih67
(ืฆืืืื: ืืืื ืืคืจืืื) pic.twitter.com/ojN9RY8hGAโ ืืื ืืืฉืืช (@kann_news) October 1, 2024
Update: The IRGC does not want to deal with the FO, but it also sounds as though they’re done now:
Iranโs Revolutionary Guards say they launched dozens of missiles toward Israel and warned that if Israel retaliated Tehranโs response would be โmore crushing and ruinous,โ Iranian state TV reports.
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Good luck with that, Ali Khamenei.ย
Meanwhile, in the Day Late/Dollar Short Department …
This morning,ย @VP and I convened our national security team to discuss Iranian plans to launch an imminent missile attack against Israel.
We discussed how the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region.
โ President Biden (@POTUS) October 1, 2024
Update: Or maybe not:
Islamic Republic of Iran state media is framing this as a โfirst waveโ of attacks.
โ Yashar Ali ๐ (@yashar) October 1, 2024
Update: The Jerusalem Post has updated its earlier report to set the number of ballistic missiles at 500. If accurate, it’s clearly an attempt to overwhelm Israel’s defenses — and a clear provocation now to launch a devastating response. Now we’ll see if the Mossad has as good an idea where IRGC and regime leaders are as they did with Hezbollah.ย
Large scale (not symbolic) missile attack from Iranian regime against Israel. A large scale Israeli retaliatory response inside Iran is certain to follow.
โ Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 1, 2024
Update: CBS reports that most of what’s seen in these videos are shrapnel, as I suggested before:
CBS News Contributor Robert Berger is in Israel as the IDF says Iran has launched a series of missiles at the country, some intercepted by the Iron Dome.
At least some of what is seen falling is โprobably shrapnel,โ he said. โIt looks like orange shooting stars.โ pic.twitter.com/iCrnbVuE6K
โ CBS News (@CBSNews) October 1, 2024
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Thus far. there aren’t reports of any serious casualties from direct hits. Two Israelis have been “lightly wounded” by falling shrapnel, and others got injured while running into shelters. It’s still early in the attack, however, so stay tuned.ย
Update: IDF has nowย issued an all-clear:
The IDF Home Front Command has issued a message letting civilians know that they can leave bomb shelters.
Perhaps the Iranian missile barrage has ended. I don’t believe for a moment that the battle is over yet, though.ย
I’ll update as developments warrant, of course.ย
Update: Iran’s UN mission confirms that the attack is over:
Iranian mission to the UN indicates response is over https://t.co/VTq87Qe8hB
โ Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 1, 2024
We’ll see what happens next.ย