In Tuesday's vice presidential debate, Democratic Governor Tim Walz dodged the question of supporting a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran, while Republican Senator JD Vance declared that the decision should rest entirely with Israel.
In Tel Aviv, typically busy streets were unusually quiet, with some shops closed and a subdued atmosphere. In Jerusalem, the normally bustling streets of the Old City have been silent all week, as concerns grow over potential attacks during the upcoming Jewish holidays.
Wednesday will mark the first night of the Jewish new year, usually celebrated as a joyful time, but this year, it will be tainted with anxiety. The whole month is marked by a series of religious holidays, with fears they will be marred by further attacks, like last year's Simchat Torah festival.
It comes as Israel prepares for the one-year anniversary of October 7 when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel, killing at least 1,100 mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages, 101 of whom remain in captivity.
As the Gaza war persists and more troops are deployed for ground operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, Iran's largest proxy, a second Iranian airstrike since April has heightened tensions across the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Iran “will pay” for the attack which saw almost 200 ballistic missiles overwhelm the country’s aerial defense systems.
Iran has said the attack is over but any retaliation will be met with “vast destruction” as the two countries continue their years-long confrontation. IDF announced on Wednesday that during Iran's overnight attack, strikes were reported at several air bases, but no aircraft were hit.
While during the high holy days, troops would be sent home to spend time with family, the addition of infantry and armored troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade to south Lebanon, suggests that the operation has moved beyond limited commando raids.
The military has said the ground operation is largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border and there were no plans for a wider operation targeting Beirut or major cities in southern Lebanon. It follows the Israeli military's revelation that they had uncovered an Iran-backed Hezbollah plot to imminently repeat last year's October 7 atrocities from Israel's north.
Iran said Tuesday's aerial assault on Israel was solely aimed at military facilities but the Israeli military announced a school in Gedara had been hit, with video footage on social media showing damage to a restaurant in central Tel Aviv. Israel's KAN News reported 100 houses damaged in Hod Hasharon in central Israel. It is not clear if these damages were from direct missile hits or debris falling from intercepted projectiles.
While Iran claims to have hit three military facilities, officially, Israel is saying that most of the barrage was intercepted and the damage seen is shrapnel damage, but it is possible the damage is much wider than believed with footage showing a barrage raining down in the area of Nevatim Air Base.
Ronen Solomon, an intelligence and defense analyst, told Iran International there may a delayed response from Israel due to the religious holiday, even if that may not be the right approach to handling Iran.
“You have to strike immediately to deter them, but Israel may want to delay this and not want to escalate this at the start of the holidays. Yesterday was a traumatic event for people, staying at home in shelters when you’d usually be preparing for the new year, so maybe there is a decision to take some time.”
Another option, he says, is that the US is planning a joint attack, explaining the delay in response. “This could signal something more serious in terms of the response,” he said. “It could be part of the psychological strategy too, or a multi-dimensional attack like we saw in Lebanon, as part of a progressive operation.”
Iran said the assault was a response to Israeli killings of militant leaders including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Beni Avrahami, whose mother was born in Iran, said the attack had a different feeling to the more common assaults from Gaza. “We are all used to rocket attacks from Gaza now, but when it comes to Iran, it’s different. You don’t really know what’s coming, which changes everything.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X early on Wednesday, "Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful."
Tough talk continued from Washington which said it would work with longtime ally Israel to ensure Iran faced "severe consequences" for Tuesday's attack.
“The Israeli people are extremely resilient, but it’s a very worrying situation,” said Ilana Cohen, a resident of Tel Aviv. Speaking on Monday morning, she said, “It’s been a sleepless night, and we pray for quiet.”
The Iranian attack coincided with a terror attack which saw at least seven people killed in a mass shooting in the mixed city of Jaffa which caused chaos as roads closed and police amassed the area amid the Iran attack. Two civilians shot the two terrorists, but it has also stirred up fears of escalation on the ground.
The attackers had infiltrated Israel from Hebron in the West Bank. “It’s all a matter of luck where this could have happened,” said one Tel Aviv resident, Alon Rosenblit. “It can happen anywhere at any time so it makes things very frightening.”
Iran has been funding terror cells in the West Bank since at least last year, according to Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now, questions will be asked as to whether the pair were lone wolves, or more of Iran's lackeys.
Although the military insists it is prepared for any scenario, the population remains deeply shaken by the events of October 7, unable to bear the thought of similar incidents overshadowing this year's holy festivals.
A strange concept but a reality for the IDF reservist combat soldier belonging to the elite Paratroopers Brigade, who jumped into action on October 7, along with his unit stationed up north against the threat of Hezbollah.
He heard ‘endless booms’ as Tehran reportedly fired more than 200 missiles in a wave of launches in retaliation for the killing of Hamas and Hezbollah’s leaders.
The IRGC announced it had struck "the heart of Israel" in retaliation for the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and IRGC's top regional commander Abbas Nilforoushan. "If Israel responds to the Islamic Republic's operation, it will face devastating attacks," the statement said.
While Iran launched missiles, a terrorist attack unfolded in Tel Aviv, with at least eight people killed by gunfire. It is not known at this time if those attacks were coordinated, though the timing does appear to be suspicious.
One person, a Palestinian, has been killed in Iran’s strike against Israel, according to local reports.
Israeli Military Spokesperson said Tuesday this attack was serious and will have consequences. According to CNN, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also described the attack as “ineffective”, referring to it as a “significant escalation” by Iran.
Despite the ongoing animosity between Iran and Israel, Itai feels deeply connected to his Iranian roots and culture while he sees himself as a proud Israeli ready to defend his nation -- even against his parent’s country of birth.
In an interview with Iran International, Itai said it’s important to make a clear distinction between the people of Iran and its government.
His father left Iran as a young child in the 1950s, a few short years after the establishment of the State of Israel. His mother, Diana, on the other hand, had a much different journey to Israel. Having fled Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, she had to rebuild her life from scratch as a 27-year-old chemist with no command of Hebrew.
The establishment of the Islamic Republic had changed her life in a flash.
Diana’s parents stayed in Iran where her father, Itai’s grandfather, was arrested and jailed because his daughter and eventually other children escaped to Israel. It wasn’t until Itai was a teenager that he met his maternal grandparents in Israel.
Itai, who studied Iranian studies and Political Science, specializes in civil society, terrorism and the Middle East – working at nonprofit ‘NGO Monitor’ when the country is not in a time of war.
Having served in the North, fighting Hezbollah, and being of Iranian origin, he offers an inside look and unique perspective into what it’s like for Israelis and what could unfold next after the Islamic Republic's strike
How everything changed after Nasrallah
Since Oct 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to maneuver a multi-front war, the Iran threat and pressures from the United States and Europe demanding a ceasefire – to put an end to the war against Hamas, said Itai over a zoom interview with Iran International.
But he said everything changed last week when Israel launched a targeted strike, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Itai viewed this as a turning point, marking the collapse of Iran’s proxy deterrence. What Iran had reportedly invested billions in over decades was largely dismantled from top to bottom.
“I think that's a historic point. It's exactly like October 7th was a very negative historic point. But what happened in the past week is going to change the interactions in the Middle East.”
The destruction of one of Iran’s biggest proxies, he believes, changes the balance of power in the region, destroys Iran’s deterrence strategy and leaves the Iranian government vulnerable.
Prior to that, Israel’s use of pagers and walk-talkie loaded with explosives left Hezbollah operatives reeling. That’s when Itai knew the Israeli government’s policy and war tactic was changing.
“I think they're in shock. They don't understand how we destroyed their greatest asset in their international politics.”
Itai said Israel finally reached a breaking point, declaring, “enough is enough.” He sensed that Israelis felt trapped in a cycle of violence where diplomacy had no impact, and border skirmishes and missile strikes offered no resolution, leaving people on both sides stuck in a constant state of conflict.
The attacks are an effort to prevent Hezbollah from continuing to fire rockets at northern Israel, which it has been doing since the war against Hamas. Israel's airstrikes are continuing to widen, and their military started a ground invasion on Monday.
“We are removing the gloves, and we don't care what others will say. And I think it showed. We eliminated one of the biggest command structures of the biggest terror organizations in the world. We celebrated it, the Lebanese celebrated, the Syrians, the Iranians. All the people that are affected by this, by the behavior and the activities of Hezbollah,” he said.
Taking out the leader of Hezbollah, Itai said, showed a dramatic shift in Isarel’s policy to take matters into their own hands and send a clear message to its boss: the Ayatollahs in Iran.
It also sent a clear message to the United States that Israel was no longer yielding to pressure for a ceasefire and was prepared to chart its own course.
Going after someone high-level like Nasrallah also means the fear surrounding him diminished in the eyes of the public.
Itai said Nasrallah was often seen as the “big bad wolf,” and that eliminating him helped to dispel the myth around him being untouchable and in turn injected positive energy into Israeli society. Something he said Israel hasn’t felt since Oct 7.
“With all the sadness of the hostages, with all the sadness that we are still at war. And we have 200,000 people that left their homes in the north and in the south. Still, it was a boost of energy. And I think not only for us, for many other people in the region,” he added.
The Middle East, Itai said, looks to Israel for support to help dismantle the Islamic Republic, which many Arab countries also see as an extensional threat.
“Other countries look on us and understand that if we will not stop this momentum of murderous terror organizations that is raping and mutilating people, they will be next. Everyone looks upon us.”
Nasrallah, head of Iran's largest proxy, made multiple statements against Jews and Israelis over the years, most famously declaring that "If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli.”
The Lebanese Shia militant leader also said in 2002 that "If they [the Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide."
Rabbi Pini Dunner, from the Beverly Hills Synagogue which has a huge Iranian community, told Iran International that “Iran's Jewish community lives in fear of persecution if they don't align themselves with the regime's warped views."
The community, the Middle East's largest outside Israel with around 5-8,000 remaining, was compelled to issue a statement criticizing Israel and America for the killing of the Hezbollah leader.
"What choice do they have? It tells you everything you need to know about how unsafe and insecure the Jewish community feels in Iran," he added.
Tehran-born Beni Sabti, who now lives in Israel, first located the pro-Nasrallah notices on Telegram from the leadership of the Jewish communities in Iran. The Jewish community of Isfahan wrote that it “congratulates and condoles the martyrdom of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah in Lebanon, who was martyred in the brutal operation of the Zionist regime.”
Sabti, a research fellow at Israel's National Institute of Security Studies, said that the Tehran Jewish community also published a similar announcement as the community in Isfahan.
The term dhimmi has been applied to Iranian Jews and Jews living in Muslim-majority nations in the Arab world to capture their servile position where they are legally required to obey Islamist supremacy.
The statement from the Isfahan Jewish community called for “severe retribution” against the actions by Israel against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the last two weeks, including the assassination of the long-time leader.
Iran's Jews numbered around 80,000 until the 1979 creation of the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian-American journalist, Karmel Melamed, an expert on Persian Jews, told Iran International "the majority of them fled Iran and now live in America or Israel”.
Melamed said ”It shouldn't surprise anyone that the mullah regime in Iran has paraded out Iran's Jews and other religious minorities from the country to supposedly mourn the death of the terrorist Nasrallah because this has been their long standing propaganda tradition to do so for the last 45 years.”
He explained that “For nearly five decades the Ayatollahs have either paid off certain Jewish leaders in Iran or used duress against Jews and other religious minorities in Iran in order to have them participate in their sham public events that promote the regime's sick radical Islamic ideology or advance their false persona in the international news media."
While Iran legally recognizes the three Abrahamic faiths, Jews, like other minority groups in the Shia state, have systematically been oppressed. “In reality, this Islamic regime in Iran has treated Jews and other non-Muslims as third class citizens with limited to no rights and created an environment of extreme hostility, imprisonment or confiscation of their properties, to the point where the vast majority of non-Muslims in Iran have fled Iran since 1979," Melamed added.
Alireza Nader, an Iranian-American expert on minorities in Iran, told Iran International that the Jews of Iran are "a small and vulnerable group ... forced to show sympathy for the regime and its allies. Otherwise they could be in great danger.”
Just hours before the debate, Iran launched its largest attack on Israel, firing over 180 ballistic missiles. The escalation followed Israel's targeted assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and a key commander of Iran’s IRGC.
With the latest developments shaping the debate, CBS moderator Margaret Brennan opened by asking Democratic VP candidate Walz whether, as the final voice in the Situation Room, he would support or oppose a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran.
Republican VP candidate JD Vance, in turn, said it is up to Israel to keep its country safe – and that the US should support its allies wherever they are when they’re fighting adversaries.
The bestselling author and military veteran, started his response by accusing the current administration for providing Tehran with sanctions relief, which he argued helped bolster Iran’s arsenal.
“Iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration. What do they use that money for? They use it to buy weapons that they're now launching against our allies and, God forbid, potentially launching against the United States as well,” Vance told the moderators.
However, it should be noted that the Biden administration released $16 billion in frozen assets from South Korea and Iraq, while it failed to enforce oil export sanctions on Iran, which generated additional tens of billion dollars.
Walz avoided directly addressing the allegation of sanctions relief and asset unfreezing, instead criticizing Trump for exiting the Iran nuclear deal without offering a replacement, which he argued brought Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
In September of 2023, the US issued a sanctions waiver for banks to transfer $6 billions of frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, paving the way for the release of five Americans held by Iran. Many Republicans condemned the transfer arguing that President Joe Biden paid a "ransom to the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism". Democrats meanwhile, defended the action claiming that Iran could only use the money for humanitarian trade.
Walz also referenced the April military clash between Israel and Iran, noting that despite Iran's large-scale retaliation, Israel and its allies successfully intercepted most of the missiles, minimizing the damage.
“Steady leadership like you witnessed today, like you witnessed in April. Both Iranian attacks were repelled. Our coalition is strong, and we need the steady leadership that Kamala Harris is providing,” Walz said.
In his final comments on Iran, Vance rejected Walz’s criticism, arguing that Iran’s nuclear advances and the October 7th attacks occurred under the Biden-Harris administration, not Trump’s.
He also defended Trump’s foreign policy, portraying it as more effective in ensuring global stability – arguing that the former President’s communication style is irrelevant to real outcomes.
“So Governor Walz can criticize Donald Trump's tweets, but effective, smart diplomacy and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a very broken world,” Vance said.
