Alarms were activated this morning (Thursday) in the northern region following the detection of a missile launch toward Israel, amid the intensified American attack on Iran. Israel announced that any launch into Israeli territory would be responded to with an attack on Beirut without the need for approval from the political echelon.
The IDF Spokesperson said that “following the alerts that sounded a short time ago in several areas in the north of the country, two missiles were identified that landed near IDF positions in southern Lebanon.”
The launches into northern Israel mark another serious violation of the fragile ceasefire by Lebanon. Earlier this week, a significant decision was made regarding Israel’s response policy in the northern arena, when during a cabinet meeting, it was decided that any launch from Lebanon that crosses into Israeli territory will be immediately responded to with an attack in Beirut.
The decision was made after a stormy meeting, and the main focus was determined that the attacks on the Lebanese capital will be carried out without the need for exceptional approval from the political echelon, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. This is to give the military broader operational freedom in order to generate a rapid response. It should be noted that as of this moment, no launches have crossed into Israeli territory since yesterday morning, so the new directive will be tested with the next launch.
The US Central Command issued an official statement tonight confirming that its forces completed a series of powerful self-defense strikes throughout Iran last night. The attacks are defined by the Pentagon as a deadly and direct response to Iran’s ongoing and unjustified aggression, especially after the downing of the US Army’s Apache helicopter earlier this week.
The current operation, the second wave of attacks in a row, has put the Persian Gulf on edge and has been accompanied by sharp threats from the White House and the Pentagon that signal that American forces are prepared for rapid escalation if Tehran does not sign an agreement to end the crisis.
According to the Central Command report, combined forces of the US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy used precision weapons against multiple military targets in Iranian territory. The operation severely damaged the operational capabilities of the Revolutionary Guards and their surveillance capabilities in air and sea space. The main targets destroyed in the wave of attacks include: military surveillance capabilities and radar systems – detection and observation facilities that Iran used to track Western forces, communications systems – communication and coordination infrastructures of the Iranian military. Air defense sites – missile batteries and interceptor systems that posed a direct threat to US forces and international merchant ships sailing in regional waters.