Iran Launches Missiles at Israel, Russia Warns – Looming Threat of WW 3

The region teetered on the brink of a wider conflict as Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles towards Israel on Tuesday. In retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others, Iran launched dozens of missiles, sending shockwaves through the region.

CNN teams across Israel witnessed the terrifying spectacle of missiles piercing the skies as sirens blared across the country. The Israeli military scrambled to intercept the incoming missiles, but some managed to breach the defenses, striking targets on the ground.

Israel vowed a swift and devastating response, igniting fears among its allies that the conflict could escalate into a full-blown regional war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking hours after the attack, warned, “Iran made a grave mistake tonight. They will pay the price. The regime in Iran does not understand our resolve to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”

The Israeli military estimated that Iran had fired over 180 missiles. While many were intercepted, some landed on Israeli soil, though initial reports indicated no injuries. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later confirmed that the Iranian attack had been effectively defeated.

Although the assault was relatively short-lived, it significantly increased tensions in the already volatile region. World leaders have long warned of the potential for a broader war between Israel and Iran’s proxies in Gaza and Lebanon. All eyes were now fixed on Israel, awaiting their response with a mix of dread and anticipation.

Russia said the West was playing with fire by considering allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western missiles and cautioned the United States on Tuesday that World War Three would not be confined to Europe.

Ukraine attacked Russia’s western Kursk region on Aug. 6 and has carved out a slice of territory in the biggest foreign attack on Russia since World War Two. President Vladimir Putin said there would be a worthy response from Russia to the attack.

Sergei Lavrov, who has served as Putin’s foreign minister for more than 20 years, said that the West was seeking to escalate the Ukraine war and was “asking for trouble” by considering Ukrainian requests to loosen curbs on using foreign-supplied weapons.

Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Putin has repeatedly warned of the risk of a much broader war involving the world’s biggest nuclear powers, though he has said Russia does not want a conflict with the US-led NATO alliance.