Israel, U.S. vow retaliation after Iran attack as Japanese govt. condemn escalation of attacks in middle east

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that it had used homegrown missiles in its evening attacks targeting strategic centers in Israel.

Iran’s forces Tuesday used hypersonic Fattah missiles for the first time, and 90 percent of its missiles successfully hit their targets in Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said.

In its biggest ever military blow against Israel, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles on Tuesday, according to Israel. Sirens sounded across the country and explosions rattled Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley as the entire population was told to seek shelter.

Iran described the campaign as defensive and solely aimed at Israeli military facilities. Iran’s state news agency said three Israeli military bases had been targeted.

Tehran said its attack was in retaliation to the Israeli killings of militant leaders and aggression in Lebanon against the Iran-backed armed movement Hezbollah and in Gaza.

Nearly 1,900 people have been killed and more than 9,000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting, most in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese government statistics on Tuesday.

Israel activated air defenses against Iran’s bombardment and a “majority of the incoming missiles were intercepted by Israel and a defensive coalition led by the United States,” Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video on X. “Iran’s attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” he added.

Israel’s Hagari said central and southern Israel received limited strikes. A video released by the military showed a school in the central city of Gadera heavily damaged by an Iranian missile.

Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, confirmed that several Iranian missiles hit central and southern Israel, and “quite a few” were intercepted by air defense systems.

U.S. Navy warships fired about a dozen interceptors against Iranian missiles headed toward Israel, the Pentagon said. Britain said its forces played a part “in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East” without elaborating.

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit back. “Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay for it,” said Netanyahu on Tuesday during a Security Cabinet meeting, which discussed Israel’s ground campaign in Lebanon and possible responses to Iran’s missile attack.

And corroborating, the Israeli military on Tuesday vowed to carry out attacks throughout the Middle East to retaliate against the Iranian missile strikes.

Any Israeli response to the missile attack would be met with “vast destruction” of Israeli infrastructure, Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement carried by state media, also promising to target regional assets of any Israeli ally that got involved.

Iran said on Wednesday that its missile attack on Israel has concluded barring further provocation, while Israel and the U.S. promised to retaliate against Tehran’s escalation as fears of a wider war intensified.

“Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X earlier in the day.

Washington said it would work with its ally Israel to make sure Iran face “severe consequences” for Tuesday’s attack.

U.S. President Joe Biden expressed full U.S. support for Israel and described Iran’s attack as “ineffective.” Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for U.S. president, backed Biden’s stance and said the U.S. would not hesitate to defend its interests against Iran.

“We will act. Iran will soon feel the consequences of their actions. The response will be painful,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned what he called “escalation after escalation,” saying, “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also called for an immediate regional ceasefire. “The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks … spiraling out of control,” he posted on X.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with the leaders of Germany and France, and they agreed on a need for restraint from all sides, Downing Street said.

The United Nations Security Council scheduled a meeting on the Middle East for Wednesday and the European Union called for an immediate ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Japan’s top government spokesperson has strongly condemned the escalation of attacks in the Middle East after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel on Tuesday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa was speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

He expressed grave concerns, saying the attack will further worsen the situation in the region, and called on all relevant parties to de-escalate.

Hayashi also said the government will take all possible measures to protect Japanese citizens abroad and continue to make every diplomatic effort to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

He added that the government has had no reports of any Japanese people suffering injuries.

Hayashi also referred to preparation status for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals from Lebanon.

He said Air Self-Defense Force transport aircraft and SDF units will be sent to Jordan and Greece as soon as arrangements are made.

The spokesperson added that around 50 Japanese nationals are currently in Lebanon. He said the government is communicating with them and responding appropriately to the situation.

Fears that Iran and the U.S. would be drawn into a regional war have risen with Israel’s growing assault on Lebanon in the past two weeks, including the start of a ground operation there on Monday, and its year-old conflict in the Gaza Strip.

However, Israel has renewed its bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, with at least three strikes against what it said were targets belonging the group.

Large plumes of smoke were seen rising from parts of the suburbs. Israel issued new evacuation orders for the area, which have largely emptied after days of heavy strikes.