On Saturday evening, U.S. CENTCOM Commander General Michael Kurilla arrived in Israel as tensions rise following Iran’s missile attack on the country. Tel Aviv is preparing to respond to the barrage of roughly 200 missiles fired by Iran on October 1, marking the second direct assault on Israel by Iran in less than six months.
The Israeli military reported that its air defense systems intercepted most of the missiles, with a few striking military bases without causing significant damage or casualties.
Iran claimed the missile strike was in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli Response to Iran
Israeli media reported that General Kurilla met with Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and senior members of the General Staff. He is also expected to meet with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Discussions are anticipated to center on Israel’s potential response to the Iranian attack.
An Israeli military official confirmed that the army is “preparing a response” to the missile strike. Speaking to AFP under anonymity, the official said, “The Israeli army is preparing a response to Iran’s unprecedented and illegal attack against Israeli civilians and Israel.”
While the official did not provide details on the nature or timing of the response, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the military is preparing a “significant” strike against Iran. The report also mentioned that Israel does not rule out the possibility of another missile launch by Iran.
Israeli media outlets also noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold additional security consultations on Saturday evening to finalize Israel’s course of action.
According to Channel 12, an Israeli official remarked, “Iran made a big mistake and will pay the price.
