Iran Launches Dozens of Ballistic Missiles at Israel

Latest Developments

Missile Attack on Israel: Retaliating against the extensive Israeli airstrikes on key targets in the Islamic Republic, Iran launched salvos of ballistic missiles toward Israel on June 13. Fewer than 100 ballistic missiles were launched toward Israeli territory in two waves, triggering sirens throughout the country and forcing millions to stay in shelters as air defense systems attempted to intercept the projectiles. Following the attack, Israel’s Homefront Command said that citizens were permitted to leave their shelters but should remain close in case another wave of missiles is launched.
Direct Hits Reported: At least nine impacts were reported throughout Israel, including several direct hits in Tel Aviv, injuring at least 40 people. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Iran had “crossed red lines” in targeting Israel’s population centers and would pay “a very heavy price” for the missile barrage. The United States reportedly assisted Israel with intercepting the Iranian missiles, vowing to protect the “hundreds of thousands of American citizens and American assets in Israel.”
Hezbollah Response Muted: An unnamed Hezbollah source told the Reuters news agency that the Iranian-backed terrorist organization “will not initiate its own attack on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s strikes.” An official Hezbollah statement did not clarify whether the group would respond to Israeli strikes on Iran, which it said had been undertaken by an enemy who understands only “killing, fire, and destruction.”

FDD Expert Response

“The images emerging from Iran’s missile assault on Israeli cities serve as a stark visual affirmation of the existential threat that Iran poses to the Jewish state. Iranian strikes reached the heart of civilian population centers such as Tel Aviv, underscoring a critical truth: the often-repeated warning that ‘Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon’ is not mere rhetoric. It is a strategic imperative grounded in reality.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Hezbollah today is not the Hezbollah of yesteryear. It is a degraded and, therefore, much more cautious organization, as its statement suggests. Both Hezbollah and Iran are focused on the group’s survival, and reigniting a full war with Israel would cut against that goal. Consequently, the proxy is now awaiting its patron’s orders on what to do next — but that will depend, first and foremost, on Iran assessing if, and how critically, Israel’s strikes have endangered the regime’s existence. If Iran feels there is a way for the regime to rebound, then Hezbollah will likely stay out of the fight. But it does not seem Israel is going to give Iran enough pause to conduct that assessment.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“Israel is experiencing Six-Day War euphoria mixed with Yom Kippur War anxiety. Locked down in shelters, Israelis watched as their armed forces pummeled the Iranian threat. Post-October 7 Israelis are not so sanguine as to believe they will come out unscathed. But this matter is existential for a country that is perpetually on the brink of annihilation.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst