Fears of regional war brews in Middle-East, as Iran launches retaliatory attacks against Isreal

Top United States (U.S) officials are concerned that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, could quickly respond to Iran’s attack without thinking through the potential fallout.

NBC news reported that Iran launched a retaliatory attack against Israel on Saturday that risked sparking a regional conflict involving U.S military forces.

The operation, which Israeli officials said included more than 300 missiles and drones, marked the first time that Iran had launched a direct military attack on the Jewish state.

Of some 30 cruise missiles launched toward Israel, 25 were intercepted by Israeli fighter jets and none managed to enter the country, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, said early Sunday.

A “few” of the nearly 120 ballistic missiles fired toward Israel fell inside the country, he said, causing slight damage to infrastructure on the Nevatim Air Force Base but leaving it fully operational.

The assault severely injured a 10-year-old girl, but otherwise caused no casualties, Hagari said.

About 31 people were treated for anxiety or injuries they sustained while heading to a protected area when sirens sounded, Israel’s first responder service said.

Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, said in a statement late Saturday that the U.S military shot down “dozens” of missiles and drones en route to Israel from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, calling Iran’s assault “unprecedented.”

“We condemn these reckless and unprecedented attacks by Iran and its proxies, and we call on Iran to immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces, and to deescalate tensions.

“We do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel,” Austin said in the statement.

Iran’s U.N Mission issued a statement on X saying that Iran’s military action was in response to Israel’s attack on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria, an apparent reference to the April 1 bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus that killed two generals and five officers in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The statement said that Iran considered the matter “concluded” after the missile and drone strikes. But it warned that if Israel makes “another mistake,” Iran would deliver “a considerably more severe“ response.

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