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The Israeli military said Tuesday that Iran has fired missiles at Israel, and air raid sirens sounded across the country as residents were ordered to remain close to bomb shelters.
Iran has so far not confirmed or denied the attack.
Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences if Iran attacks.
Israel was expecting a widespread attack from Iran after Israeli troops launched ground raids into Lebanon and its warplanes bombed from the skies.
Though so far characterised by Israel as limited, the first ground campaign into Lebanon for 18 years would pit Israeli soldiers against Hezbollah, Iran’s best-armed proxy force in the Middle East.
It marks the biggest escalation of regional warfare since fighting erupted in Gaza a year ago, and follows weeks of intense airstrikes that have decapitated Hezbollah by killing most of its top leaders. More than a thousand Lebanese have been killed and a million have fled their homes.
Iran, which sponsors Hezbollah, had vowed to retaliate against Israel, raising fears that war could spill across borders throughout the region, despite efforts by the United States, Israel’s closest and most powerful ally, to contain it.
In the latest announced killing of a senior Hezbollah figure, Israel said it had assassinated Muhammad Jaafar Qasir, describing him as a commander in charge of weapons transfers from Iran and its affiliates.
In Washington, a senior White House official said the U.S. was actively supporting preparations to defend Israel against a direct military attack on Israel by Iran. The official added that such an attack would carry severe consequences for Tehran.
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