Iran launched missiles towards Israel on Thursday, shortly after US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to stop the fire and get to a deal in an address to the nation over ‘Operation Epic Fury’.
Israel’s military said air defences were responding to an Iranian missile attack on Thursday. The missile launch came shortly after Trump wrapped his address to the American public about the Middle East war and warned Iran of being brought to the “”.
The military said in a statement it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel” for the third time in just over three hours, adding that “defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat”.
Air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel, according to the military’s Home Front Command, and there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage, AFP news agency reported.
The drone and missile exchange with Iran was triggered on February 28 after the surprise US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While the US named the action Operation Epic Fury, Israel named it ‘Operation Roaring Lion’.
Trump’s Stone Age warning and ultimatum to Iran
In the speech, Trump said Iran will be hit “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks and will be brought to the “Stone Ages”.
“Thanks to the progress we’ve made, I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objections shortly. Very shortly. We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” Trump said.
In the meantime, discussions are ongoing, regime change was not our goal, he said. “We never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because of all of their original leader’s death,” Trump said in the speech, adding an ultimatum next.
“Yet, if during this period of time, no deal is made… if there is no deal, we are going to hit each, and every one of their electric generating plants very hard, and probably simultaneously,” Trump said.
