IDF Chief Threatens Iran After Missile Shrapnel Lands Near Eilat, Pushing Israel Toward War Footing
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jul 19
IDF Chief Threatens Iran After Missile Shrapnel Lands Near Eilat, Pushing Israel Toward War Footing
3 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jul 19
Summary
Shrapnel from an Iranian ballistic missile fired at Jordan landed north of Eilat on Sunday, prompting IDF chief Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir to warn Israel could strike back with “great power” if Iran moves closer.
Israeli and US defenses intercepted the threat in stages: a US Aegis system hit the main warhead, then Iron Dome shot down fragments near the Israel-Jordan border.
Interceptor debris fell in an open area near Eilat, causing no casualties or damage, though the IDF had warned residents in southern border areas to prepare to enter safe spaces.
IDF sources said the incident pushed Israel close to a war footing after weeks in which the US-Iran aerial confrontation had largely stayed away from Israeli territory.
Jerusalem showed no immediate sign of a counterattack, and the missile appeared aimed at Jordan rather than Israel, but it was the first Iranian aerial threat to come near Israel in more than three months.