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Iran launches missile attack on Israel, Netanyahu vows retribution

Iran fired more than 180 missiles, but most were intercepted by ‘Israel and a defensive coalition led by the United States’

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Projectiles are intercepted by Israeli air defences near the northern city of Baqa al-Gharbiya on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that arch foe Iran would pay for its missile attack against Israel on Tuesday, while Tehran said any retaliation would be met with “vast destruction”, raising fears of a wider war.

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As Washington expressed full backing for its long-time ally Israel, Iran’s armed forces said direct intervention by Israel’s supporters against Tehran would provoke a “strong attack” from Iran on their “bases and interests” in the region.

Oil prices shot up 5 per cent on fears of a wider war between the two arch enemies, and the UN Security Council scheduled a meeting on the Middle East for Wednesday.

“Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it,” Netanyahu said at the outset of a political-security meeting, according to a statement.

Projectiles fly through the sky, as seen from Jerusalem. Photo: Reuters
Projectiles fly through the sky, as seen from Jerusalem. Photo: Reuters

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said the assault was in retaliation for Israeli killings of militant leaders and aggression in Lebanon against the Iran-backed armed movement Hezbollah and in Gaza.

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