Iran Launches Missile Strikes on Tel Aviv and Haifa as Israel Conflict Escalates into Fourth Day

Some analysts traced this latest escalation to a pattern of tit-for-tat actions that had unfolded over the preceding weeks. Covert attacks, sabotage, cyberwarfare, and assassinations had set the stage for a dramatic escalation, with each side seeing itself as compelled—by honor, security, and strategic necessity—to strike back at every perceived aggression. The Iranian strike on Tel Aviv and Haifa was both an answer to recent Israeli operations and a loud signal to Israel’s allies and adversaries alike: Iran would not remain a passive actor in the new Middle Eastern order. Intelligence officials across several countries scrambled to assess whether additional, possibly larger, strikes might soon follow.