04/19/2024

What We Know about Israel's Strike on Iran

Here's what could happen next

Israel launched missiles into Iran late Thursday in the retaliatory strike it had promised — and that Western leaders had sought to temper — following Tehran's attack on Israel on Sunday.

A senior U.S. military official confirmed to NPR that the Israeli military had conducted missile strikes against Iran. But little else is known about the extent of the strikes and any potential damage, as both Israel and Iran appeared to downplay the attack on Friday morning — which analysts suggest points to an effort to de-escalate regional tensions.

"This is a very dangerous moment, but I think Israel has done about as intelligent a thing as they can do under this circumstance," Gen. Frank McKenzie, retired commander of U.S. Central Command, told Morning Edition. "No one knows exactly what happened and maybe, just maybe, we'll avoid any possibility of significant escalation as a result of it."

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