Iran Retaliates, Launching Missile Attacks on Israel
Iran launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israeli cities over the weekend, forcing millions into bomb shelters. The attacks follow the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader and mark a severe escalation, with U.S. and Israeli forces now responding with bombardments on Iran's missile infrastructure near Tehran.
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has triggered a constitutional process for succession in Iran, creating a temporary leadership vacuum. A council composed of the president, the head of the judiciary, and a cleric from the Guardian Council will manage the country's affairs until an 88-member body of clerics, known as the Assembly of Experts, selects the new Supreme Leader. This direct confrontation follows decades of a "shadow war" between the two nations. Since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the countries have engaged in proxy conflicts, with Iran supporting anti-Israel groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and Israel conducting airstrikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria and assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists. Iran's retaliatory capability is built on a large arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones. Its arsenal includes kamikaze drones like the Shahed-136 and ballistic missiles such as the Khorramshahr, with ranges up to 2,000 kilometers, capable of reaching Israel and parts of Europe. Iran views this technology as a key part of its "offensive defense" doctrine, compensating for an aging air force. The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the region, the largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This includes two aircraft carrier strike groups, the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, along with over 150 advanced aircraft like F-22s and F-35s moved to bases in countries such as Qatar, Jordan, and the UAE. This escalation follows a 12-day war in June 2025, which began after Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion" to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. That conflict ended in a ceasefire, but tensions remained high, leading to this new direct exchange. International reactions have been swift, with the UK, France, and Germany issuing a joint statement condemning Iran's "reckless attacks" and pledging to take defensive action. Russia and China, however, have condemned the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that preceded the retaliation. The current strikes are not just on missile infrastructure. The US and Israeli response has also targeted Iran's drone and missile storage facilities, including recently revealed underground tunnels designed to protect these assets.
