Has the Middle East 'Total War' begun? 200 missiles are flying towards Israel

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　　　**　Source: China News Weekly**

On the night of October 1st to the early morning of the 2nd local time, air raid sirens sounded again across Israel. Explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. About 200 Iranian missiles crossed thousands of miles, cutting through the night sky. Iran claims that 70% of the missiles hit designated military targets. Israel stated that the joint air defense facilities of the U.S. and Israel intercepted the vast majority of the missiles.

On the evening of October 1, 2024 local time, Iran launched about 200 missiles at Israel. Photo/Visual China

In terms of scale, this action is not much different from Iran's missile attack on Israel on April 13 this year. That attack was in retaliation for Israel's airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1; this attack, according to a statement later released by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was in response to Israel's recent assassinations of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Nehrforushan, and earlier the assassination of Hamas's top leader Haniyeh.

The two attacks targeted Israeli military facilities in Gaza and Lebanon, and did not cause serious casualties. However, according to Israeli sources, a Palestinian worker unfortunately lost his life in this attack. Before the two attacks began, the U.S. government received information and issued a notification. The outside world believes this is some sort of "tacit understanding" reached between the U.S. and Iran to avoid further escalation of the situation. A small difference is that in April, some Middle Eastern Arab countries participated in intercepting Iranian missiles; whereas this time, they seemed to choose to observe.

Like the official statement after the last attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian stated in the early hours of the 2nd that this missile attack was an act of self-defense, and that Iran's retaliation "has ended" unless Israel takes further action. Israel, on the other hand, vowed to make Iran "pay the price."

Link
https://news.sina.com.cn/w/2024-10-02/doc-incrcxuv3429097.shtml
Summary
On the night of October 1-2, 2024, Iran launched approximately 200 missiles at Israel, with reports indicating that 70% hit military targets. This attack, similar to one in April, was framed by Iran as retaliation for Israeli actions against key figures in Hezbollah and Hamas. While Israel's defense systems intercepted most missiles, one Palestinian worker was reported killed. Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian described the attack as self-defense, asserting that further retaliation would depend on Israel's actions. Strategic analyst Jafar Hagapanah noted that Iran's decision to strike was influenced by a perceived imbalance in regional power dynamics following Israeli assaults. He emphasized that Iran had been exercising restraint but felt compelled to act as Israel escalated its military operations. The outcome of this confrontation hinges on Israel's response and the involvement of major powers in de-escalating tensions. Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Hagapanah suggested that both Iran and Israel are likely to avoid full-scale war, preferring to maintain a pattern of smaller, ongoing confrontations.