Iran launched 200 missiles toward Israel for the first time on Wednesday, including hypersonic weaponry, in a bombardment that Israel pledged to “pay” for.
Iranian media broadcast online footage of missiles being fired, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed were aimed against “three military bases” near Tel Aviv and other bases.
Late Tuesday, the Revolutionary Guards announced that “90 percent” of the missiles had “hit their targets.”
The Israeli military reported that Iran launched approximately 180 missiles at its territory, the most of which were intercepted.
In June 2023, Iran displayed an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching hypersonic speeds of up to 15 times that of sound.
Then-President Ebrahim Raisi stated that the weapon would strengthen Iran’s “power of deterrence” and “bring peace and stability to the countries of the region.”
Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles fly low in the atmosphere, allowing them to reach their targets faster and with a lower probability of being intercepted by modern air defenses.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran made a “big mistake” with their missile strikes, which came after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week.
After the US said that it was planning a coordinated response with Israel, Iran’s chief of staff warned that if its land was struck, Tehran would target Israeli infrastructure.