Iran Launches Missile Barrage at Israel in Retaliation for Senior Hezbollah and Hamas Deaths, Raising Fears of Regional War

In a dramatic escalation, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel late Tuesday in retaliation for the killing of senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials. The attack triggered alarms across Israel, forcing residents to seek shelter as explosions were heard in major cities including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that no casualties had been reported from the missile strikes, though two people sustained light injuries from shrapnel in the Tel Aviv area. "We don’t see any more threats in our airspace," Hagari said, reassuring Israelis that it was safe to leave bomb shelters following the attack.

Israel’s military stated that a significant number of the missiles were intercepted by its defense systems, though Iran's state media claimed that 80 percent of the missiles successfully hit their targets.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) took responsibility for the missile attack, describing it as retaliation for the assassination of senior leaders. These include Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was reportedly killed last week, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was allegedly killed earlier this year. The IRGC also referred to the death of Abbas Nilforoushan, an Iranian military commander.

“In response to the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, and Abbas Nilforoushan, we targeted the heart of the occupied territories,” the IRGC said in a statement published by Fars News Agency. They warned that any Israeli retaliation would prompt an even more “crushing and ruinous” response from Tehran.

The missile attack comes amid growing tensions between Iran and Israel, with both sides accusing each other of destabilizing the region. The strike marks one of the most direct confrontations between the two nations in recent years, raising fears of a broader conflict involving Hezbollah, Hamas, and other regional players.

Israel has warned that the attack will have serious consequences, with military spokesman Hagari stating that any Israeli response will come “in a timely manner.” International observers have expressed concerns that the ongoing tit-for-tat attacks could spiral into a full-scale regional war, drawing in multiple actors from across the Middle East.

The escalation has already prompted urgent discussions among global powers, with diplomats scrambling to de-escalate the situation. The UN and other international bodies have called for restraint, warning that continued hostilities could destabilize not only Israel and Iran but the wider Middle East.

As both nations brace for potential further strikes, the situation remains highly volatile, with fears that the conflict could rapidly expand.