As a new day begins in the Middle East, here is a recap of some images from yesterday's conflict.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

What could Israel's next move be?published at 06:04 BST 2 October 2024

06:04 BST 2 October 2024

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Emergency restrictions have now been eased across much of Israel, but this is still an anxious time.

During last night’s major Iranian attack, sirens sounded as the entire population was told to head into bomb shelters. Explosions could be heard overhead as air defences intercepted the incoming missiles.

Heading into a security meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit back, describing the escalation as "a big mistake" that Iran "will pay for".

One possibility is that Israel now carries out air strikes on Iran, perhaps targeting sites used for its nuclear programme - a highly dangerous mission that its military has long planned for.

A full-scale regional war that many have feared since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel nearly a year ago now looks even more likely.

The Israeli Air Force has attacked a Hamas "command and control complex" in Gaza that was "previously" used as a high school, the Israeli military said in a post on X.

It said the former Al-Bureij Preparatory School was being used by Hamas to plot attacks on Israel, and that steps were taken to avoid hurting civilians, including using "precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence information".

Separately, at least nine people were killed and 20 were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza, according to Reuters citing Palestinian news agency Wafa. It is not immediately clear if the report was referring to the same school.

Hezbollah successfully repelled an Israeli infantry incursion into Lebanon, the Iranian-backed militia group said in a statement.

The battle broke out around dawn on Wednesday morning, and happened as Israeli forces "attempted to infiltrate" the town of Adaisseh.

The statement goes on to say the Hezbollah forces encountered the Israeli patrol, "clashed with it, inflicting losses on it, and forcing it to retreat".

Israel has yet to comment on these claims. We'll bring you more details when we have them.

Image source, Reuters

Yemen's Houthi movement launched attacks against ships in the Red Sea on Tuesday, damaging two vessels.

The Panama-registered Cordelia Moon was struck by a drone boat, and sustained damage to its ballast, which controls its buoyancy. Another Liberian-registered ship was hit by a missile.

The crews of both ships were unharmed.

The Houthis have been launching attacks on ships near Yemen since November, in solidarity with the Palestinians. They have also launched attacks on Israel itself.

Also on Tuesday, the IDF said it had intercepted a drone flying over the Mediterranean Sea, after the Houthis announced they had launched drone strikes on the cities of Eilat and Tel Aviv in Israel.

And on Sunday, Israel launched massive airstrikes on the Yemeni coastal city of Hudaydah as a strike against facilities used by the Houthis.

The Houthis are part of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" against Israel, the US and the West. This is an Iran-backed network of armed groups in the Middle East that includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Three people were injured when fragments of missiles fell on Jordan, a government spokesman told state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV. Jordan lies east of Israel.

The injuries were minor, according to Jordanian Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani.

He said that shrapnel fell in several different regions, and no serious injuries were reported.

There was material damage, he continued, and assessments are currently underway.

"Protecting Jordan and Jordanians is our first responsibility," he said, adding that Jordan will not become a battleground.

Al-Mamlaka reports that a two-metre-long missile fragment, external fell in the Al-Suwaniyah area. Another piece fell on a roof, external near a university in the city of Mafraq sparking a small fire, the network reports.

Iran’s armed forces joint chief Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri has threatened to target Israel's’ infrastructure, if it takes any further retaliatory action against Tehran.

"If [Israel]... wants to continue these crimes or wants to do anything against our sovereignty and territorial integrity, tonight's operation will be repeated several times stronger and all their infrastructure will be targeted,” Bagheri said earlier.

He also described Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps - the nation’s most elite military unit - as being prepared defensively and operationally to repeat the missile attack it carried out on Tuesday against Israel with “multiplied intensity”.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already promised that Iran will face grave “consequences” for the attack.

More from Lloyd Austin: in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the phone.

“The Minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the coordinated defense of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact,” Austin said.

“I also expressed my deepest condolences to the families impacted by the horrific and deadly terrorist shooting in Israel,” he added, referencing a shooting and knife attack in Tel Aviv which occurred shortly before Iran began firing a barrage of missiles.

Image source, PA Media

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin says the US "intercepted multiple missiles” launched by Iran towards Israel.

“We condemn this outrageous act of aggression by Iran, and we call on Iran to halt any further attacks, including from its proxy terrorist groups,” he says in a statement.

He adds: “I am deeply proud of the skill and the bravery of the US troops who helped to save lives today from Iran’s assault and who continue to support Israel’s defence and to prevent a widening conflict or escalation.”

He says he will continue to monitor the situation closely and speak to US allies and partners.

Image source, Getty Images

Palestinians near the West Bank city of Hebron have been seen inspecting the debris of a missile that fell there in the last few hours.

According to a photographer with the AFP news agency, the unidentified projectile was moved to the centre of the town of Dura, west of Hebron.

A group of men were seen having their photo taken with the missile. The BBC has not been able to independently confirm the authenticity of the photos.

Image source, Getty Images

Israel's international allies have condemned Iran's missile barrage, which forced millions of civilians into bomb shelters across the nation on Tuesday.

President Emmanuel Macron said that French forces had been "mobilised" in the Middle East, to show his country's commitment to Israel's security.

He also promised to organise "a conference in support of the Lebanese people and its institutions" and called on Israel to put an end to its military operations there "as soon as possible".

Image source, Getty Images

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba criticised Iran’s actions as “unacceptable”, while calling on all sides to show restraint.

“We condemn this strongly. But at the same time, we would like to cooperate [with the United States] to defuse the situation and prevent it from escalating into a full-on war," he told reporters.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Iran's missile attack as a "dangerous escalation” and warned that any "further hostilities" would "put civilians at risk".

Within hours of Iran's massive ballistic missile barrage, Israel's air force has conducted more strikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The Israel Defense Forces posted on X before the latest round of air raids to warn civilians in the area it was targeting that they needed to evacuate.

The Middle East crisis just dominated the opening of the US vice-presidential TV debate in New York City.

JD Vance and Tim Walz, running mates for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris respectively, were asked by the CBS moderators whether they would support Israel in a pre-emptive strike against Iran.

Neither candidate directly answered the question.

Walz, a Democrat, apparently confused Israel for Iran when he said: "The expansion of Israel and its proxies is an absolute fundamental necessity for the United States to have the steady leadership there."

The Minnesota governor pivoted to criticising Trump’s foreign policy during his presidency.

Vance, a Republican Ohio senator, hit back that Iran was closer now to a nuclear weapon than ever.

"Who has been the vice-president for the last three and a half years?" he said to Walz. "The answer is your running mate, not mine."

Image source, Getty Images

João da Silva
Business reporter

Oil prices surged after Iran fired ballistic missiles against Israel sparking fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East that could disrupt oil supplies

Brent crude - a key benchmark for oil prices internationally - rose more than 1% to $74.40 a barrel.

During trading on Tuesday, it jumped more than 5%.

Iran is the seventh largest oil producer in the world, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and the third-largest member of the Opec oil producers' cartel.

Traders also fear any military escalation in the region could affect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The shipping route - which lies between Oman and Iran - is key to the global oil trade with 20% of world's supplies sailing through it.

Other Opec members Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq also send most of the oil they export through the Strait.

Image source, EPA

Celebrations broke out on the streets of Tehran after Iran's missile barrage against Israel.

Many people in the large crowd were holding flags of Iran and Hezbollah, and displaying the face of the former Hezbollah leader who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Friday.

Some let off fireworks, according to photos.

The gathering took place outside the British embassy, the same location where a similar celebration took place after Iran's attack on Israel in April.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Iran's UN ambassador in New York has justified his country's missile attack on Israel, saying it acted in self-defence.

In letters to the United Nations Security Council and the secretary general, Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said the barrage was justified following the assassinations of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

And he warned that any further action against Tehran would be met with a “decisive” response.

Responding to his Iranian counterpart's comment’s, Israel's envoy Danny Danon promised retaliation for Iran’s latest wave of attacks - which forced millions of people into bomb shelters across the nation - saying it would "be painful”.

“We have no desire for war or escalation, but we cannot sit idly by when our civilians are being attacked in such a manner,” he added.

Over the weekend, Iravani blamed the security council’s “inaction” for the escalation of the current conflict, and urged its 15 members to take “decisive action” against Israel to avoid “dragging the region into full-scale war”.

It's just after 01:00 on Wednesday in London and 03:00 in Israel and Lebanon. Here are the headlines:

• Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel – with the Israeli military saying it intercepted most of the 180 rockets fired at it
• A Palestinian man was killed in the occupied West Bank during the barrage, and a school in central Israel and a restaurant in Tel Aviv were hit

• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “made a big mistake tonight, and will pay for it"

• Israel’s allies condemned the attack, with US President Joe Biden saying he was “fully supportive” of Israel

• Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces said it had begun a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah

• The UN and EU have reiterated calls for a ceasefire, with the UN Security Council due to meet on Wednesday

• Cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah continued, with more than 50 people killed by Israeli strikes, according to Lebanese authorities

How might Israel retaliate?published at 00:52 BST 2 October 2024

00:52 BST 2 October 2024

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Forcefully, it says. The restraint which its international allies urged on it following the previous Iranian missile barrage in April is unlikely to be in evidence this time.

Israel’s current strategy appears to be a two-track one: to eliminate its enemies through assassinations and airstrikes and then deterrence – demonstrating to Iran and its proxies that every attack on Israel will be met with even greater force.

Former Israeli intelligence officer Avi Melamed says Iran’s attack "is poised to provoke a significant Israeli counterstrike… We will likely see a significant and immediate response from Israel against Iranian targets."

So what will that retaliation look like?

Israel will have long had plans in the drawer for strikes on Iran. Its defence chiefs will now be assessing when and how hard to hit the Islamic Republic.

The most obvious military targets are the land bases which launched Tuesday’s volley of ballistic missiles. So, not just the silos, but the command-and-control centres, even the refuelling facilities.

It could even try to activate its network of agents inside Iran to go after those who ordered and carried out the missile attack. Additionally, if Israel decides to escalate even further, it could target Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Either way, an Iranian counter-attack would then be almost inevitable, with both countries perpetuating the current cycle of attack and revenge.

Image source, Reuters

A Tel Aviv resident has described the "traumatising" scene in a bomb shelter during the Iranian missile attack on Israel.

Journalism student Talya Ashrat Dahan told The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4 that she was eating dinner at her boyfriend's mother's house when they got the government's emergency alarm on their phones.

"Everyone knows this is Code Red. Everyone runs down... within three minutes, women, children, elderly, everyone runs down, crams in like a bunch of sardines.

"Needless to say it was quite a traumatising experience. We were packed so tight in this room, and you know what happens when you pack a bunch of people in a very small basement, they create an incredible amount of heat.

"They took one child from the bath, he was naked with his mother, and a pregnant lady was next to him. And this soldier who was off duty, who (had been) in Gaza, was triggered by the alarms and he passed out next to us probably also due to the heat.”

Image source, Reuters

The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed it has hit what it called "terrorist targets" in Beirut's southern suburbs after warning residents in the area to evacuate.

According to the AFP news agency, explosions could be heard and smoke was seen rising from the scene.

Israel has carried out a number of air strikes targeting Hezbollah's stronghold in the Lebanese capital - including one last Friday which killed the Iran-backed group's leader Hassan Nasrallah.