The News
Iran launched a missile attack against Israel Tuesday, shortly after the Israeli military began a ground invasion into Lebanon targeting the Tehran-backed group Hezbollah.
The White House said it was monitoring the situation, and that US President Joe Biden directed the US military to help shoot down the missiles.
Iran’s attack follows weeks of Israeli offensives against Hezbollah, including a strike that killed the group’s leader. Israel’s onslaught has also come at a huge cost to civilians in Lebanon, thousands of whom are displaced.
Israel’s military carried out “quiet a few interceptions” during Iran’s barrage, an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson said, adding that he was unaware of any casualties and that residents were able to leave bomb shelters.
The attack was the latest major test of Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, which has a sophisticated radar that’s bolstered by artificial intelligence, the Financial Times reported. Those capabilities allow the system to quickly determine which rockets could land in unpopulated areas, and which could strike homes or troops.