The situation in the Middle East, which has deteriorated since the outbreak of the Gaza War in October last year, is at a crossroads again as Israel retaliated again on the 26th local time.
Israel launched attacks on Tehran and other Iranian capitals 25 days after Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at its mainland.
"We are carrying out a precision strike on Iran's military facilities in response to months of Iranian aggression," the Israeli military said in a statement.
Iranian state television and semi-official media reported several loud explosions in Tehran and the nearby city of Karaz, while videos of flames soaring in the middle of the city were shared on social media.
If Iran attacks mainland Israel again in response to the attack, there are concerns that the war, which has already spread from Gaza to Lebanon, could spread to an all-out war with Iran, and the entire Middle East could be in flames of war.
Israel's attacks have already been predicted since Iran launched a large number of missiles targeting Israel on the 1st of this month.
Iran used more than 200 missiles to attack Israel after the assassination of Palestinian militant Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who visited the Iranian capital Tehran on July 31, and even Hasan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon's pro-Iran militant Hezbollah, was killed by Israeli bombardment on July 27.
Israel's attack, which declared immediate retaliation, reportedly did not hit Iran's nuclear facilities or oil facilities, the lifeline of the Iranian economy, leading to speculation that Israel may have adjusted its level of retaliation to prevent escalation.
It is interpreted that the U.S. has strongly pressured Israel to control the timing and level of retaliation, fearing that the Gaza war could extend to an all-out war with Iran following Lebanon, ahead of the presidential election on the 5th of next month.
Iran has warned that it will "respond proportionally" with various responses prepared for each scenario, from "stage response" to "launching more than 1,000 ballistic missiles," depending on how Israel's retaliation unfolds.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported that "the Israeli side notified the White House of its plans just before the attack."
AI Anchor: Y-GO
Caption editing: Jeong Eui-jin
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