US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said Israel should not strike Iranian nuclear sites in a retaliation for a missile attack the previous day, saying a response must be proportional.
Instead, he focused on Israel's simmering conflict with Lebanon and the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by Israel last month, stating, “I certainly have remarks regarding Lebanon and everything related to this great and beloved martyr (Nasrallah), which I will share in the near future, God willing.”
In an open and seemingly unprovoked attack on Western democracies, Khamenei accused the US and European nations of being "the root of the problem in our region—which creates conflicts, wars, concerns, and hostilities".
He said: "If they reduce their interference in this region, undoubtedly these conflicts, wars, and confrontations will completely vanish. The countries in the region can manage themselves, govern their own areas, and live together in peace, safety, and well-being.”
Unusually, he did not mention Iran's archenemy Israel in the blast.
Khamenei’s comments come at a significant moment, as there are reports that he will lead Friday prayers in Tehran this week for the first time in nearly five years. An announcement from a manager at Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Fars website confirmed that Khamenei will personally deliver the sermon, a responsibility he typically delegates to representatives such as Ahmad Khatami and Kazem Sedighi. It is significant as historically, Khamenei only steps in during critical times or significant occasions.
The last time Khamenei led Friday prayers, considered the most holy day of the week for Muslims, was on January 17, 2020, the first time in eight years. His sermon occurred during a particularly tense period, just after the killing of Iranian IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike and the subsequent downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane by Iran's military.
If confirmed, the timing of Khamenei’s appearance is noteworthy due to Iran’s second attack on Israel on Tuesday and recent killing of Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike which has seen Iran's biggest proxy hit most drastically by Israel since its creation. Around 1,500 operatives are believed to have been taken out of action after a mass infiltration of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the group. Its top commanders have also been eliminated in a wave of assassinations.
Now, according to reports from Reuters, Khamenei has been moved to a secure location within Iran amid heightened security following Nasrallah’s shock assassination.
On Tuesday night, after the launch of nearly 200 missiles at Israel and the Israeli prime minister's promise of strong retaliation, reports indicated that he remained in a secure location. However, he appeared for a public meeting on Wednesday.
Iran launched over 180 missiles toward Israel on Tuesday, claiming it was a response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others, including Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, killed in an air strike in Tehran in July.
Khamenei also led the funeral prayers for the slain Hamas figure, in addition to leading prayers for former president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a mysterious helicopter crash earlier this year.
Across multiple locations in Israel, barrages of missiles streaked through the sky as sirens wailed throughout the country. At least one person was killed in the West Bank, with several others injured during the attack, according to the Israeli military.
Hours after the assault, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “Iran made a big mistake tonight - and it will pay for it. The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”
The US also vowed that it would work with longtime ally Israel to ensure Iran faced "severe consequences" for Tuesday's attack.
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.”
Asked by reporters if the Jewish state should hit at the disputed nuclear program after Iran's greatest-ever attack on its soil, Biden said, "no".
An international consensus among world powers in the G7 group was that retaliation was warranted but should be limited, he added.
“All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they have to respond proportionally."
Iran launched around 180 missiles at Israel on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. The attack was largely repulsed with US and Western help but several missiles hit their mark, including an Israeli air base.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told an emergency Security Council meeting on Wednesday that an Israeli riposte was inevitable.
"Let me be clear, Israel will defend itself. We will act," he said. "And let me assure you, the consequences Iran will face for their actions will be far greater than they could ever have imagined."
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said the attack was in response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, warning Israel that it will strike again if there was an Israeli response.
Israel was aided in fending off a previous one-off missile fusillade from Iran in April by the United States, Western and Arab partners, after which Washington urged Israel to hold off on a counterattack.
But the US government is not trying to dissuade Israel from hitting back this time, CNN said citing two senior US officials.
"No one’s saying don’t respond. No one’s saying ‘take the win'," one source said, referring to Washington's argument to Israel in April.
War or Peace
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel of forcing his country to react, saying that Tehran “is not looking for war but looking forward to peace”.
"We were asked to maintain calm. For the sake of peace, we have maintained self-restraint,” he said at a joint press conference with the Emir of Qatar in Doha. “If [Israel] acts, we will react more fiercely and harshly."
Israel declared Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata for what it said was insufficient rejection of Iran's attack.
Speaking at the Security Council later in the day, Guterres condemned the Iranian barrage on Israel the previous day, adding that the “deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop.”
“Time is running out,” he warned.
Meanwhile Israel announced the deaths in combat of eight Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, days after it launched an invasion of the country it said aimed at stopping rocket fire on its border communities by Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
Israel has landed devastating blows against Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an aerial bombardment on Beirut on Friday along with much of its top leadership.
The attacks have killed up to a 1,000 people including many civilians while displacing nearly a million people.
A top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion Tehran in July in an assassination widely blamed on Israel, raising Iran's ire but not immediately drawing any response at that time.
