White House national
security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that the
attack "appears to have been defeated and ineffective."
"We do not know
of any deaths in Israel," he said. "We do not know of any damage to
aircraft or strategic military assets in Israel."
Pentagon press
secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a briefing after the attack that Israel was
able to intercept the majority of the incoming missiles and that
there was minimal damage on the ground.
Ryder added that two US
Navy destroyers helped shoot down the missiles, and fired around a dozen
interceptors.
The attack marked a significant
escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran, Ryder and Sullivan
said.
Tehran previously
attacked Israel in April in an attack defeated by the US and Israel, along with
allied forces in the region.
Israeli military
spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said there were a "small
number" of hits in central and southern Israel, but the "majority of
the incoming missiles were intercepted."
"Iran's attack is
a severe and dangerous escalation. There will be consequences," he
said in a video address. "We will respond wherever, whenever, and however
we choose."
Vice President Harris,
the Democratic presidential nominee, told reporters "I condemn this attack
unequivocally."
"I'm clear eyed.
Iran is a destabilizing, dangerous force in the Middle East, and today's attack
on Israel only further demonstrates that fact," she said.
The Iranian attack
comes after Israel began limited ground operations in Lebanon against
the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, which has been severely degraded
by Israeli attacks in the past two months, including a strike last week that
killed Nasrallah.
Israel has fought
Hezbollah for nearly a year after the militant group began firing over the
border following the October 07, 2023 attacks by Iranian-backed militant group
Hamas, which sparked war in the Gaza Strip.
While the war in Gaza
is still raging, Hamas's presence has been reduced over the past year, freeing
up resources for Israel to move north and try to push Hezbollah back from the
border to return some 60,000 residents displaced by the fighting there.
The US has pushed for
a diplomatic agreement to resolve the Lebanon crisis, but Ryder indicated the
Pentagon supported limited Israeli border attacks, saying the US "fully
understands" the need to protect civilians, though Washington is asking
questions about the operation.
Before the Tuesday
attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday appealed
directly to Iranians, saying in a video message he supported efforts for regime
change in Iran.
After the attack, Netanyahu said at a Security Cabinet meeting that Israel has the momentum and the axis of evil is in retreat, referring to Iran.
"This evening, " he said, "Iran made a big mistake – and it will pay for it."