ISRAEL has vowed revenge on Iran after fighting off an unprecedented 180-missile blitz from the terrorist state last night.
The threat comes as the Middle Eastern arch-enemies trade barbs and put the region on the brink of all-out war.
Tensions were high after Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and launched a ground invasion of north Lebanon on Monday night.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Iran for making a “big mistake” and threatened “it will pay for it”.
He warned: “There is also a deliberate and murderous hand behind this attack – it comes from Tehran.
“We will stand by the rule we established: whoever attacks us – we will attack him.”
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Alerts sounded across Israel late on Tuesday afternoon after US satellites picked up ballistic missiles being moved to launch sites in the west of Iran.
Defence rockets intercepted most in the skies above Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.
Hezbollah ally Iran’s missiles fly at up to 14 times the speed of sound and would take just 12 minutes to reach targets, reportedly three air bases and an intelligence HQ.
The skies lit up within minutes as red tracers from the Iron Dome and David’s Sling defence systems blasted the rockets.
Air raid sirens blared across the country as Israelis took cover in their homes, under bridges, and in bomb shelters.
It was unclear if any had slipped Israel’s high-tech net but images suggested falling debris could have caused damage.
Iran launched more than 320 missiles and drones at Israel in April but virtually all were intercepted.
In that blitz, ballistic missiles took 12 minutes to reach Israel, cruise missiles two hours, and drones around nine hours.
Last night’s attack appeared to be more concentrated using faster ballistic weapons in the hope of overwhelming defences.
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei was confirmed to have personally ordered the launch.
An Iranian source added it was to avenge Nasrallah’s assassination and Israeli aggression, adding that Iran was “fully ready for any retaliation”.
It comes as…
Israel Defence Forces’ Daniel Hagari said: “We are on heightened alert on defence and offensive. We will protect the citizens of Israel. This missile fire will have consequences.
“We have plans, and we will act in the time and place that we choose.”
The IDF said a coalition led by the US also helped bring down the bombs – with Iran claiming 90 per cent of the missiles hit.
A Palestinian in the West Bank was the only known death after being killed by shrapnel from one rocket, the local governor told AFP.
The IDF said it is not clear if there are any injuries yet, with local media saying two were lightly injured.
Iran vowed Israel would face “crushing attacks” if it responded to the strike.
By 6.30pm UK time, the IDF said Israelis could leave shelters as there were no more threats it detected.
US President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris monitored the attack from the Situation Room and ordered the US military to aid Israel and shoot down the rockets.
The Pentagon said tonight the blitz was twice the size of Iran’s April attack, while a key adviser slammed the strike as “defeated and ineffective”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the strike, reiterated his support for Israel, and once again called for a ceasefire.
It comes after Israel launched its ground offensive Operation “Northern Arrows” targeting Hezbollah strongholds following waves of devastating airstrikes.
Heavy fighting continued to rage in southern Lebanon on Tuesday as 25,000 Israeli troops stepped up their ground war to smash Hezbollah rocket sites.
Israeli commanders said the invasion would be “limited, localised and targeted” and would not involve an occupation.
But clashes intensified through the night with Hezbollah launching rocket and artillery barrages toward Israeli troops massing on the border.
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Terror troops responded to the onslaught by launching early hours rocket and artillery barrages against the border town of Metula inside Israel.
Hezbollah also said it targeted Mossad’s headquarters in Glilot near Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah’s decade of destructive preperation
By Foreign News Reporter Juliana Cruz Lima
Following the 2006 Lebanon War, in which Israel and Hezbollah fought to a bloody standstill, the terror group began preparing for the next conflict.
They constructed a vast underground network across southern Lebanon.
The lessons of that war, in which Hezbollah’s small, mobile units were able to surprise and sometimes overpower Israeli forces, have been embedded in its military doctrine ever since.
The tunnels are now a key part of this strategy, allowing Hezbollah to replicate the tactics of insurgencies around the world: strike fast, disappear, and use the enemy’s size and strength against them.
Some of these tunnels have been found stretching into Israeli territory, designed to facilitate surprise raids deep inside northern Israel.
In 2018, the IDF launched Operation Northern Shield, a months-long mission to detect and destroy Hezbollah’s cross-border tunnels.
The discovery of these tunnels — some reinforced with concrete and running dozens of meters underground — revealed just how advanced Hezbollah’s capabilities had become.
Last month, Hezbollah revealed its hidden terror tunnel network from which missiles can be launched in a chilling threat to Israel.
A blood-curdling video released by the Lebanese terrorists revealed a giant underground roads with enough room for lorries to transport their deadly weapons.
Posters of leaders and soldiers adorn the tall stone walls as heavily armed men speed through the “missile city” in motorbikes.
Trucks loaded with enormous missiles make their way through the dark roads in a frightening glimpse of the terrorists’ arsenal.
Drone footage then shows the seemingly endless terror maze, which also appears to be home to military tech and computers.
Inside the terror tunnels, Hezbollah fighters can move unseen, store weapons, and launch ambushes, creating a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the IDF.
They can also move into a much larger network of bunkers, missile silos, and command centres, deeply embedded in civilian areas.
These tunnels – which can stretch for miles – link critical positions, allowing Hezbollah fighters to emerge, strike, and then vanish back underground before Israel can respond.
Reports also suggest that Hezbollah has been expanding its tunnel network in southern Lebanon in recent weeks.
