At the Edge

Listen to Today's Edition:

Iran fired almost 200 ballistic missiles at Israel Tuesday evening with little advance warning, less than a day after Israel moved its troops into southern Lebanon, moves contributing to a quickly deteriorating situation that has left many worried over a regional war igniting, the BBC reported.

Israel’s air defense systems identified about 180 missiles fired from Iran, most of them stopped by weapons defense systems before they could hit their targets, Israel’s military said. Across Israel, residents scrambled for shelter while the Israeli security cabinet convened in a bunker. No deaths were reported.

Israeli and US leaders vowed retribution.

Tehran will face “severe consequences” for its attack on Israel, the White House said, after the United States used military force to help defend its closest Middle Eastern ally from Iranian weapons for the second time in five months, the Washington Post reported.

Meanwhile, concerns spiked over the rapidly escalating situation setting off a regional conflict, even as Israel is now fighting a war on three fronts with Israel also having bombed Houthi sites in Yemen.

Early Tuesday, Israeli troops entered southern Lebanon as part of a “limited, localized and targeted” ground operation aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, USA Today reported.

That follows other operations against Hezbollah: In recent weeks, Israeli forces have disrupted the armed group’s command by detonating booby-trapped pagers and two-way radios used by Hezbollah members. Tuesday’s ground assault also followed weeks of airstrikes that have killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli military officials described the ground invasion as necessary to ensure the safety of around 60,000 Israelis displaced from northern Israel due to near-daily rocket fire from Hezbollah.

They added that the goal of the operation is to “dismantle and demolish Hezbollah infrastructure,” including a network of tunnels and weapons storage facilities.

Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist armed group and political force in Lebanon with deep ties with Iran, has maintained an entrenched presence in southern Lebanon since its formation in 1982.

It remains a powerful military force: The group is believed to possess an arsenal of around 150,000 rockets and missiles, and its fighters have combat experience from fighting in the Syrian civil war, according to the Associated Press.

Analyst Gilbert Achar told USA Today that Hezbollah could endure fighting Israel “as long as the Iranian regime is able to continue funding the group.”

The last time the two sides engaged in all-out conflict was in 2006.

Earlier this week, the US ramped up its military presence in the region, deploying naval destroyers, an aircraft carrier and fighter jets to assist Israel in its defense.

Amid fears of a broader regional war, analysts have expressed concerns about the fragile situation in Lebanon.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that his country is entering “one of its most dangerous phases,” adding that more than a million citizens have been displaced.

For years, Lebanon has been grappling with an economic collapse and political vacuum, which Achcar said has left the country “on the edge of the abyss.”

In contrast, the recent victories against Hezbollah have been a boon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced criticism both domestically and internationally over his handling of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the BBC noted.

A recent poll indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party would win the most seats if an election were held today, though opposition parties still hold a larger majority. His government has been further stabilized by the recent inclusion of former rival Gideon Saar into the coalition, giving Netanyahu more room to maneuver politically.