Israel opens Pandora’s box in the Middle East

Projectiles fly through the sky in central Israel as a siren sounds a warning of incoming missiles fired from Iran towards Israel on Oct 1. —AP

IRAN launched at least 180 missiles at Israeli territory on Tuesday night, the latest in a series of rapidly escalating attacks between Israel and Iran along with its Arab allies that threatens to push the Middle East closer to a regionwide war.

Tehran said the barrage was a retaliation for a series of devastating blows Israel has landed in recent weeks against the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, which has been firing rockets into Israel since the war in Gaza began. Earlier that day, Israel had launched what it said is a limited ground incursion in southern Lebanon.