Iran launches new oil-filled missiles over Israel: causing a decade of deaths and threats of reprisals

The conflict between Iran and Israel has reached a new and alarming level. A barrage of missile attacks launched by Iran in the early hours of this month has claimed the lives of at least nine dead and decades of heroes in Israeli territory, including several civilians.

The Israeli government called the offensive an "unacceptable escalation" and promised a blunt response. “Iran will pay a high price for every civilian life that has been taken today”, declared Prime Minister Benjamín Netanyahu in a message broadcast on the national network.

Alarm in Israel and warnings to Iran
The attacks impacted mainly in the regions of Haifa, Beersheba and the outskirts of Jerusalem, where several residential areas suffered considerable damage. The Iron Dome anti-missile systems managed to intercept part of the projectiles, but the magnitude of the bombing surpassed the defensive capacity in some sectors.

The Israeli army spokesman confirmed that rapid response units are being mobilized on the northern border and that options for direct retaliation against military infrastructures on Iranian territory are emerging.

Iran responds: “More devastating operations will come”
From Tehran, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, confirmed the authorship of the attack and stated that “this is just the beginning”. In an official statement, the Iranian regime states that military operations will continue and intensify as a reprisal for what they call “continued Zionist aggressions” against Iranian interests in Syria and Lebanon.

"The blood spilled by our martyrs will not fall without response. Israel will know the true strength of its resistance force", declared Salami.

International reaction
The international community has reacted with concern to this new escalation. The UN convened an emergency session of the Security Council for this region, even as the United States urged both parties to “show restraint” while reaffirming its support for Israeli defense.

For their part, countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemned the Iranian attack and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities.