How tensions between Iran, Israel have escalated in 1 year
Tensions between Israel and Iran have hit a new high after Tehran fired over 180 missiles at the Jewish nation on Tuesday. This move is a direct response to recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to retaliate, saying Iran had "made a big mistake... and...will pay for it." Meanwhile, General Mohammad Bagheri, armed forces chief, warned that any action against Iran would be met with intensified strikes on Israel's entire infrastructure.
Tel Aviv shooting and Israeli airstrikes
Just before Iran fired its missiles, a shooting spree in Tel Aviv resulted in at least six fatalities. The police confirmed that the two suspects involved were shot dead after they opened fire in the Jaffa neighborhood. Police said the attackers were residents of the Palestinian city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Tensions between Israel and Iran have been on the rise since the war in Gaza started after Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Timeline of escalating tensions since Gaza conflict
A day after this attack, late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi voiced Iran's backing for the Palestinians's "legitimate defense" and accused Israel of "endangering the security of nations in the region." By October 28, Israeli PM Netanyahu confirmed that 90% of Hamas's military budget comes from Iran. Two months later, Iran pointed fingers at Israel for an attack in Syria that took out Razi Moussavi, a top officer in the Quds Force.
Iran blames Israel for attacks on Revolutionary Guards
Then, in January 2024, another strike hit Damascus, which Iran also blamed on Israel, leading to the deaths of five members of the Revolutionary Guards. Among the victims were the group's intelligence chief for Syria and his deputy. On April 1, 2024, an airstrike, reportedly by Israel, hit Iran's diplomatic mission in Damascus, killing seven Revolutionary Guards. Fast forward to April 13, Iran struck back with a barrage of missiles and drones aimed at Israel.
Explosions in Iran and Hamas leader's death
This was Tehran's first direct attack on Israeli soil since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. On April 19, 2024, there were explosions in central Iran, with US media saying Israel had carried out revenge strikes against its arch-rival. Then on July 31, Hamas announced that its political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an overnight strike in Iran. Iranian media reported he was killed by "an air-launched missile" while attending the swearing-in of new President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Israel's alleged role in Haniyeh's death and Nasrallah's assassination
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that Israel killed Haniyeh using a "short-range projectile" fired from outside his place in Tehran. On September 27, an Israeli strike on Hezbollah's stronghold in south Beirut led to the deaths of the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general, among others. In retaliation for these killings, Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel on October 1, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
