This is the chilling moment Iranian politicians chant “Death to America” in the country’s parliament after the launch of nearly 200 missiles that targeted civilian and military infrastructure in Israel.
Tensions in the Middle East are rising rapidly. Iran launched a salvo of missiles at Israel last night after the IDF killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of its ally Hezbollah, in an airstrike in Beirut on Saturday.
This morning, Iranian politicians were seen pumping their fists in the air as they chanted “Death to America” in unison.
The members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also read verses from the Quran.
Iran and the US have long been enemies and have had no official diplomatic ties since 1979, when a group of armed Iranian students took 57 diplomats and civilians hostage in the US embassy for 444 days.
While tensions between Iran and the US have always been fairly high, they have boiled over in the past year and appear to have come to a head in recent days.
This morning we saw Iranian politicians pumping their fists in the air as they chanted “Death to America” in unison
Iran launched a salvo of nearly 200 missiles at Israel last night
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin denounced an “outrageous act of aggression” by Iran, while Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters there would be “serious consequences.”
When asked by reporters what the response would be towards Iran, US President Biden replied: “That is currently being actively discussed.”
He confirmed that the US last night helped Israel repel a massive missile attack from Iran by launching a dozen interceptors and warned Tehran that America “fully supports Israel.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the rocket attack was in response to Israel’s killing last week of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and to the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a bomb attack in Tehran in July, which was blamed on Israel.
The attack was also intended to avenge Israel’s assassination with Nasrallah of leading Iranian commander Abbas Nilforoushan of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guard’s foreign operations wing.
Revolutionary Guard commander Major General Mohammad Bagheri also threatened to fire “with greater intensity” if Israel makes good on its promise to retaliate.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had exercised its “legitimate rights” and “provided a decisive response… to the Zionist regime’s aggression.”
This photo shows projectiles intercepted by Israel near the northern city of Baqa al-Gharbiya on October 1
President Joe Biden has confirmed that the US helped Israel repel a missile attack from Iran last night
Israel intercepted most of the Iranian missiles, while Israeli medics reported that two people were injured by shrapnel. Leaders vowed last night that the country would take revenge.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
‘Whoever attacks us, we attack them.’
Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant, who oversaw the interception of Iranian missiles at the command and control center, also vowed revenge.
“Iran has not learned a simple lesson: those who attack the State of Israel will pay a high price,” he said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media platform
Israel, which estimated the number of rockets fired in its territory at 180, bombarded the Lebanese strongholds of Iranian ally Hezbollah early Wednesday with heavy attacks on southern Beirut.
Experts now predict that the conflict can only escalate.
“This will not end well,” political analyst Jordan Barkin told AFP.
“Netanyahu has a long history of fighting back strongly and quickly when provoked. Restraint is not Netanyahu’s strongest point.”
James Demmin-De Lise, an author and analyst who writes a blog for The Times of Israel, agreed.
“I think we will see Israel launch decisive attacks against Iran. Probably hoping to overthrow the Islamic regime,” he said.