Hezbollah fires rockets, clashes with Israeli forces - al-Manar

Just hours before the debate, Iran launched its largest attack on Israel, firing over 180 ballistic missiles. The escalation followed Israel's targeted assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and a key commander of Iran’s IRGC.
With the latest developments shaping the debate, CBS moderator Margaret Brennan opened by asking Democratic VP candidate Walz whether, as the final voice in the Situation Room, he would support or oppose a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran.

Republican VP candidate JD Vance, in turn, said it is up to Israel to keep its country safe – and that the US should support its allies wherever they are when they’re fighting adversaries.

The bestselling author and military veteran, started his response by accusing the current administration for providing Tehran with sanctions relief, which he argued helped bolster Iran’s arsenal.

“Iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration. What do they use that money for? They use it to buy weapons that they're now launching against our allies and, God forbid, potentially launching against the United States as well,” Vance told the moderators.

However, it should be noted that the Biden administration released $16 billion in frozen assets from South Korea and Iraq, while it failed to enforce oil export sanctions on Iran, which generated additional tens of billion dollars.

Walz avoided directly addressing the allegation of sanctions relief and asset unfreezing, instead criticizing Trump for exiting the Iran nuclear deal without offering a replacement, which he argued brought Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

In September of 2023, the US issued a sanctions waiver for banks to transfer $6 billions of frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, paving the way for the release of five Americans held by Iran. Many Republicans condemned the transfer arguing that President Joe Biden paid a "ransom to the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism". Democrats meanwhile, defended the action claiming that Iran could only use the money for humanitarian trade.

Walz also referenced the April military clash between Israel and Iran, noting that despite Iran's large-scale retaliation, Israel and its allies successfully intercepted most of the missiles, minimizing the damage.

“Steady leadership like you witnessed today, like you witnessed in April. Both Iranian attacks were repelled. Our coalition is strong, and we need the steady leadership that Kamala Harris is providing,” Walz said.

In his final comments on Iran, Vance rejected Walz’s criticism, arguing that Iran’s nuclear advances and the October 7th attacks occurred under the Biden-Harris administration, not Trump’s.

He also defended Trump’s foreign policy, portraying it as more effective in ensuring global stability – arguing that the former President’s communication style is irrelevant to real outcomes.

“So Governor Walz can criticize Donald Trump's tweets, but effective, smart diplomacy and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a very broken world,” Vance said.

In Tel Aviv, typically busy streets were unusually quiet, with some shops closed and a subdued atmosphere. In Jerusalem, the normally bustling streets of the Old City have been silent all week, as concerns grow over potential attacks during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

Wednesday will mark the first night of the Jewish new year, usually celebrated as a joyful time, but this year, it will be tainted with anxiety. The whole month is marked by a series of religious holidays, with fears they will be marred by further attacks, like last year's Simchat Torah festival.

It comes as Israel prepares for the one-year anniversary of October 7 when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel, killing at least 1,100 mostly civilians and taking 251 hostages, 101 of whom remain in captivity.

As the Gaza war persists and more troops are deployed for ground operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, Iran's largest proxy, a second Iranian airstrike since April has heightened tensions across the country.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Iran “will pay” for the attack which saw almost 200 ballistic missiles overwhelm the country’s aerial defense systems.

Iran has said the attack is over but any retaliation will be met with “vast destruction” as the two countries continue their years-long confrontation. IDF announced on Wednesday that during Iran's overnight attack, strikes were reported at several air bases, but no aircraft were hit.

While during the high holy days, troops would be sent home to spend time with family, the addition of infantry and armored troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade to south Lebanon, suggests that the operation has moved beyond limited commando raids.

The military has said the ground operation is largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border and there were no plans for a wider operation targeting Beirut or major cities in southern Lebanon. It follows the Israeli military's revelation that they had uncovered an Iran-backed Hezbollah plot to imminently repeat last year's October 7 atrocities from Israel's north.

Iran said Tuesday's aerial assault on Israel was solely aimed at military facilities but the Israeli military announced a school in Gedara had been hit, with video footage on social media showing damage to a restaurant in central Tel Aviv. Israel's KAN News reported 100 houses damaged in Hod Hasharon in central Israel. It is not clear if these damages were from direct missile hits or debris falling from intercepted projectiles.

While Iran claims to have hit three military facilities, officially, Israel is saying that most of the barrage was intercepted and the damage seen is shrapnel damage, but it is possible the damage is much wider than believed with footage showing a barrage raining down in the area of Nevatim Air Base.

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Ronen Solomon, an intelligence and defense analyst, told Iran International there may a delayed response from Israel due to the religious holiday, even if that may not be the right approach to handling Iran.

“You have to strike immediately to deter them, but Israel may want to delay this and not want to escalate this at the start of the holidays. Yesterday was a traumatic event for people, staying at home in shelters when you’d usually be preparing for the new year, so maybe there is a decision to take some time.”

Another option, he says, is that the US is planning a joint attack, explaining the delay in response. “This could signal something more serious in terms of the response,” he said. “It could be part of the psychological strategy too, or a multi-dimensional attack like we saw in Lebanon, as part of a progressive operation.”

Iran said the assault was a response to Israeli killings of militant leaders including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Beni Avrahami, whose mother was born in Iran, said the attack had a different feeling to the more common assaults from Gaza. “We are all used to rocket attacks from Gaza now, but when it comes to Iran, it’s different. You don’t really know what’s coming, which changes everything.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X early on Wednesday, "Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful."

Tough talk continued from Washington which said it would work with longtime ally Israel to ensure Iran faced "severe consequences" for Tuesday's attack.

“The Israeli people are extremely resilient, but it’s a very worrying situation,” said Ilana Cohen, a resident of Tel Aviv. Speaking on Monday morning, she said, “It’s been a sleepless night, and we pray for quiet.”

The Iranian attack coincided with a terror attack which saw at least seven people killed in a mass shooting in the mixed city of Jaffa which caused chaos as roads closed and police amassed the area amid the Iran attack. Two civilians shot the two terrorists, but it has also stirred up fears of escalation on the ground.

The attackers had infiltrated Israel from Hebron in the West Bank. “It’s all a matter of luck where this could have happened,” said one Tel Aviv resident, Alon Rosenblit. “It can happen anywhere at any time so it makes things very frightening.”

Iran has been funding terror cells in the West Bank since at least last year, according to Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now, questions will be asked as to whether the pair were lone wolves, or more of Iran's lackeys.

Although the military insists it is prepared for any scenario, the population remains deeply shaken by the events of October 7, unable to bear the thought of similar incidents overshadowing this year's holy festivals.

Israel has declared UN chief Antonio Guterres "persona non grata," banning him from entering the country for not condemning Iran's missile attack. "Anyone who can't condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel doesn't deserve to set foot on Israeli soil," said FM Israel Katz.

"This is an anti-Israel Secretary-General who lends support to terrorists, rapists, and murderers," said Katz in a statement.

Guterres wrote on X following the Iranian attack: "I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire."

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In a televised interview on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed reports, including those from Reuters, saying that Tehran had communicated or coordinated with Washington prior to its missile strike on Israel.

The US State Department similarly confirmed that no prior warning was received from Iran, rejecting suggestions that Tehran had alerted American officials before the attack.

Araghchi said that while messages were exchanged, they served as warnings rather than coordination. He further explained that following the strike, Iran conveyed through the Swiss embassy a caution for the US to "remain uninvolved."

"We informed the Americans that our operation was complete and that we had no intention of continuing unless there was retaliation," Araghchi stated.

Responding to reports of missile interceptions, Araghchi asserted, "Over 90% of our missiles successfully hit their targets."

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France said on Wednesday that it is deploying additional military resources to the Middle East in response to the growing threat from Iran.

The French government also called for a UN Security Council meeting later in the day following Tehran's missile barrage against Israel.

"Committed to Israel’s security, France today mobilized its military resources in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat," the French presidency said in a statement overnight after an emergency security cabinet meeting.

"The head of state also reiterated France’s demand that Hezbollah cease its terrorist actions against Israel and its population."