Iranian missile barrage on Israel twice as large as its last attack

The Pentagon reported that Iran’s latest missile strike on Israel involved roughly twice as many ballistic missiles as the previous direct attack earlier this year. Major General Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, emphasized the scale of the assault during a briefing on Tuesday.

“This attack was about twice as large in terms of the number of ballistic missiles that they launched,” Ryder told reporters, highlighting the significant escalation compared to earlier strikes.

Reports on how much of the Iranian barrage was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome remain somewhat conflicting. While Ryder claimed that most of the missiles were intercepted, some footage suggests the barrage has been largely successful. The U.S. also contributed to the Israeli defensive effort, with two American destroyers launching about a dozen interceptors.

The attack, which Iran claimed was in retaliation for the recent deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, marks a sharp increase in the intensity of Iran’s military response.

The previous Iranian missile strike on Israel, which took place in April, was seen as a response to an airstrike attributed to Israel that targeted Tehran’s diplomatic mission in Damascus.