This is the chilling moment Iranian politicians shout “death to America” in the country’s parliament, following the launch of nearly 200 missiles that targeted civil and military infrastructure in Israel.
Tensions in the Middle East are heating up rapidly, with Iran launching a salvo of missiles against Israel last night, following the IDF’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of its ally Hezbollah, in an airstrike in Beirut on Saturday.
This morning, Iranian politicians were seen raising their fists in the air while chanting “Death to America” in unison.
Members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also read verses from the Quran.
Iran and the United States have long been enemies and have had no official diplomatic ties with each other since 1979, when a group of armed Iranian students held 57 diplomats and citizens hostage in the American embassy for 444 days.
While tensions between Iran and the United States have always been quite high, they have boiled over in the past year and have apparently come to a head in recent days.
This morning, Iranian politicians were seen raising their fists in the air while chanting “Death to America” in unison.
Iran launched a salvo of almost 200 missiles against Israel last night.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized 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 toward Iran would be, US President Biden responded: “That’s under active discussion right now.”
He confirmed that the United States helped Israel repel a massive missile attack launched last night by Iran by launching a dozen interceptors and warned Tehran that the United States “totally, totally supports Israel.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the missile attack was in response to Israel’s assassination last week of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, as well as the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a bomb attack in Tehran in July, widely attributed to Israel.
The attack also sought to avenge Israel’s assassination alongside Nasrallah of prominent Iranian commander Abbas Nilforoushan of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guard.
Revolutionary Guard commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri also threatened to fire “with greater intensity” if Israel fulfills its promise to retaliate.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had exercised its “legitimate rights” and given “a decisive response… to the aggression of the Zionist regime.”
This image shows projectiles intercepted by Israel near the northern city of Baqa al-Gharbiya on October 1.
President Joe Biden has confirmed that the United States helped Israel repel a missile attack from Iran last night
Israel intercepted most of Iran’s missiles, while Israeli doctors reported two people injured by shrapnel. Their leaders promised last night that they would take revenge.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Whoever attacks us, we attack him.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was at the command and control center overseeing the interception of Iranian missiles, also vowed revenge.
“Iran has not learned a simple lesson: those who attack the State of Israel pay a high price,” he said in a statement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media platform X that Tehran’s “action concludes unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation.”
Israel, which put the number of missiles fired at its territory at 180, bombed the Lebanese strongholds of Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, with heavy attacks on Wednesday morning in the south of Beirut.
Experts now project that the conflict can only escalate.
“This will not end well,” political analyst Jordan Barkin told AFP.
‘Netanyahu has a long history of striking back hard and fast when provoked. “Moderation is not Mr. Netanyahu’s strong suit.”
James Demmin-De Lise, an author and analyst who blogs 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.