Israel vows to hit Iran with ‘surprise’ attack in revenge for missile strike and warns Tehran ‘will not know what hit them’

Israel has promised Iran will be ‘surprised’ by a ‘deadly’ response to its missile attack carried out earlier this month. 

The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel’s response to a missile attack last week that Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon. The Iranian attack ultimately killed no one in Israel and Washington called it ineffective.

After describing Iran’s October 1 missile attack as a failure, Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant said in a video issued by his office: ‘Whoever attacks us will be hurt and will pay a price. Our attack will be deadly, precise and above all surprising, they will not understand what happened and how it happened, they will see the results.’

No specific threats were made, though there are fears that Israel may attack Iran’s oil fields or nuclear facilities.  

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised that arch-foe Iran will pay for its missile attack, while Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region. 

It comes as revelations about the deepening tensions between the leaders of Israel and the US, considered the state’s greatest ally by many, were revealed in a new book by legendary journalist Bob Woodward. 

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) has promised that arch-foe Iran will pay for its missile attack

Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant (pictured) said: ‘Whoever attacks us will be hurt and will pay a price’

Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel are seen in the West Bank city of Nablus Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike targets the southern suburbs in Beirut

In ‘War,’ a book out next week, Woodward reports that Joe Biden regularly accused Netanyahu of having no strategy, and shouted ‘Bibi, what the f***?’ at him in July, after Israeli strikes near Beirut and in Iran.

Asked about the book, one US official familiar with the two leaders’ past interactions said Biden has used sharp, direct, unfiltered and colourful language both with and about Netanyahu while in office.

Gallant canceled a Wednesday visit to the Pentagon, the Pentagon said. Gallant said in a statement he had postponed the visit at Netanyahu’s request until after the prime minister spoke with Biden.

US officials have been blindsided by many of the military actions Israel has taken over the last few weeks, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah, which it has been warring with for the past few weeks.   

Rescuers search for survivors at a Civil Defence emergency center which was hit in an overnight Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Derdghaiya, early on October 10, 2024

A woman holds the hand of a child as Syrians who were refugees in Lebanon return to their home country after a journey to the opposition held northern Idlib province through the crossing Aoun al-Dadat north of Manbij, on October 9, 2024

A new round of airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs late Sunday as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Lebanon. Palestinian officials said a strike on a mosque in Gaza killed at least 19 people.

Rocket sirens and blasts were heard in Haifa in northern Israel late Sunday, and Hezbollah claimed the attack. 

Israel’s military said at least five projectiles were identified coming from Lebanon and ‘fallen projectiles’ were found in the area. The military showed what appeared to be rubble along a street. 

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it was treating a teen with shrapnel injuries to the head and a man who fell from a window due to a blast.

A year after Hamas’ October 7 attack, Israel has opened a new front in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which has traded fire with Israel along the border since the war in Gaza began