Missile strike on Tel Aviv triggers Israeli threats against Iran’s Supreme Leader — the details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

A wave of Iranian missiles struck southern and central Israel early Thursday, including Tel Aviv, leaving at least 200 people injured and causing widespread damage to residential buildings and infrastructure. 

The attack triggered scenes of destruction and panic across the country, with many Israelis describing it as an unprecedented moment of fear and anxiety. 

The scale of the strike prompted Israeli leaders to escalate their threats against Tehran.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to the targeting of Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Be'er Sheva as justification for intensifying Israeli strikes on Iran.

The threats came amid scenes of chaos across the country, after air raid sirens reportedly failed to activate in Tel Aviv and several other areas.

According to military estimates, one of the missiles that exploded over central Israel was equipped with a cluster warhead, dispersing smaller explosive submunitions across several areas near Tel Aviv, including Jaffa, Or Yehuda, and Gush Dan.

Israeli officials believe the use of such warheads serves two purposes: first, to relieve pressure on Iranian cities facing Israeli bombardment; and second, to increase psychological pressure on the Israeli public by targeting civilian areas and a major hospital—moves aimed at fueling demands within Israel to end the war.

While reports initially suggested that a missile hit the hospital directly, several Israeli experts clarified that it landed nearby. 

Had it struck the hospital itself, they said, the number of casualties would have been far higher.

Despite the attacks, the Israeli military remains committed to continuing its operations as it awaits a U.S. response. 

Defense officials are also pressing for an $8.5 billion boost in the military budget to restock weapons and sustain the war effort.