Israel caught off-guard by Iranian missile attacks – report

Israeli officials admit they did not expect Iran to make good on its threats to strike Israel over fighting in Lebanon.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli security officials acknowledged Monday that they did not expect Iran to carry out its threat to fire missiles at Israel after an Israeli strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district, an assessment failure that left Israel reacting under pressure from Tehran and Washington rather than controlling the pace of the confrontation.

The escalation began after Israel struck a Hezbollah command center in Beirut’s southern suburbs in response to fire on northern Israel.

Iran had warned that an Israeli strike in Dahieh would draw a response, but according to Israeli officials cited by Israel Hayom, that scenario was not treated as the most likely outcome before the attack was approved.

Even after Iranian officials repeated their warnings later in the day, some in Israel reportedly believed Tehran would not follow through, in part because Iran had previously issued threats that were not carried out.

That assumption collapsed within hours. Israeli officials said they realized only shortly before launch that Iran was preparing to fire.

The IDF then issued urgent public warnings, but because Iranian missile crews were already on high alert, the window between the warning and the attack was only minutes.

Iran fired 11 ballistic missiles at Israel in the first salvo, all of which were intercepted, according to the Israeli account.

Israel responded early Monday with strikes on Iranian air defense systems in western and central Iran.

Later, Israeli aircraft carried out additional strikes, including on a petrochemical facility that Israel said was connected to ballistic missile production.

The Houthis in Yemen also launched missiles toward Israel, adding another front to the exchange.

But Israel’s response was limited. US forces helped intercept Iranian missiles, according to Axios, but the US did not take part in Israeli strikes on Iran.

President Donald Trump then urged both Israel and Iran to stop shooting, saying continued escalation could endanger his efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran.

“Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Axios reported that Trump called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pressed him to halt further strikes.

A US official told the outlet that Netanyahu had been “expressly told the cycle needs to end” and that Washington “didn’t agree or support these strikes.”

According to Axios, Israel had been preparing a larger wave of attacks on Iran before Trump intervened. Trump later told the outlet that he warned Netanyahu against returning to war with Iran.

“I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,’” Trump said.

Netanyahu ultimately agreed to stop further strikes on Iran as long as Iran also held fire, Axios reported.

Israel Hayom said Israel’s final strike came around 1 p.m., when Israeli aircraft attacked Iranian air defense components.

The episode has caused frustration inside Israel’s defense establishment.

Although Israel carried out the last attack in the exchange, officials cited by Israel Hayom said Iran had succeeded in setting a dangerous new equation: An Israeli strike in Dahieh could bring missile fire from Iran against Israel.