UN Security Council to Hold Special Session on Middle East
Iranian missiles hit military targets in Israel, Oct. 1, 2024. X/ @Hernan_MurielP
October 2, 2024 Hour: 6:47 am
Previously, Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel after the Israeli military offensive in Lebanon killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East following Iran’s response to Israel’s aggressions against Palestine and Lebanon.
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“We have scheduled an open meeting followed by closed consultations for tomorrow, Wednesday, October 2, at 10:00 a.m.,” the United Nations mission in Geneva stated.
On Tuesday evening, Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel after the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Lebanon killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Salvos of missiles rained down on Israel at around 19:30 local time, triggering sirens and sending residents running for shelter. Loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem as Israeli air defense systems successfully intercepted some Iranian missiles.
A Palestinian man was killed by shrapnel in the occupied West Bank, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported. Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom said two people in Tel Aviv sustained minor injuries. There have been no immediate reports of fatalities within Israel. Traffic on Jaffa Road, a major street in Jerusalem, returned to normal shortly after the attacks, though a heavier-than-usual police presence remained.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would retaliate against Iran’s missile attack. “Whoever attacks us — we will attack him,” Netanyahu told a Security Cabinet meeting focused on potential counter-attacks and the ground military campaign in Lebanon.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that if Israel retaliates by attacking Iran, it will face “crushing and destructive” attacks.
In a statement posted on social media platform X after the attack, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation. “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” he wrote.
This marks the second round of Iranian missiles fired at Israel. The first round in April was the first-ever direct Iranian strike on Israel, launched in retaliation for an Israeli attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus that killed seven IRGC officers. The previous round of Iranian missiles was intercepted with assistance from the U.S. military and other regional countries. Israel responded with airstrikes in Iran, but a broader escalation was avoided.
The latest Iranian attacks followed high-profile assassinations of anti-Israel figures who have close ties to Iran. The Persian nation vowed to retaliate after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran in late July while attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
On Sept. 27, Iranian-backed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes. In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed to avenge Nasrallah’s death. The two rounds of attacks have resulted in no heavy damage within Israeli territory, though both sides assess their impact differently.
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC claimed that 90 percent of the missiles fired on Tuesday successfully hit their targets, including several air and radar bases and the “conspiracy centers” involved in planning the assassinations of leaders like Haniyeh and Nasrallah.
teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua
