What it was like on the ground during Iran’s attack on Israel

Editor’s note: On Oct. 1, Iran launched roughly 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. The following is a first-person look at what it was like to be in Israel tonight from Breaking Defense correspondent Seth J. Frantzman.

JERUSALEM — Iranian ballistic missiles look like small points of light from far away, almost like little yellow stars, streaking slowly through the atmosphere. I could see them from my balcony tonight, starting around 7:30 in the evening. It would be awe-inspiring, in another context.

Today’s attack by Iran wasn’t unexpected. Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that “a short while ago, our partners in the United States informed us that they have identified that Iran is preparing to launch missiles towards the State of Israel.” The IDF urged people to follow the guidelines of the IDF’s Home Front Command, which sends civilians scrambling for shelters, while pledging that “our aerial defense systems are fully prepared.” 

Since Israel began a large-scale campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the public has been bracing for some form of retaliation from Iran, but the warnings came faster than many people expected. It was around 4:30 in the afternoon, sending people streaming from offices for home.

Like many parents, I had to rush to pick up my kids from school activities early.  On the way home I decided to get some gas for the car, because in emergency situations it is expected that sometimes gas stations or other services won’t function. I wasn’t the only one with that thought, leaving us stuck in a long line. By the time I got home, statements by Israeli officials and media painted the looming attack as more serious than the one conducted by Iran in April.

During that previous attack, Iran launched 170 drones and 120 ballistic missiles. Because drones take several hours to reach Israel, there was a lot of time to prepare. Tonight’s attack unfolded differently; reports initially indicated it could come over the next 12 hours, but it wasn’t clear when those 12 hours had begun. The countdown likely began in the early afternoon when the US and Israel became aware of the threat. Media reports in Israel also indicated Israel was taking this attack more seriously. This sense of concern was communicated vaguely, but it was clear this time things were different than in April. It was as if the danger might occur over a longer period of time and that Israel was more likely to respond.

Several minutes before 7:30 in the evening Israelis received an emergency alert on their phone saying they should enter their safe rooms or bomb shelters. Many homes in Israel have a safe room, but in other areas people have to go to public shelters that are usually in basements underground. Our family sheltered in our safe room with a radio that can be used to get updates. I brought in bottled water in case we had to remain for a period of time — and then went out on the balcony to see what would happen.

From my experience in the April attack, the Iranian missiles and the Israeli interceptors being sent up to stop them can be seen before sirens sound. This is because in some cases ballistic missiles can be seen many miles away, but they are not actually a threat to the area you are in. In addition, sirens sound due to the missiles and the potential shrapnel from interceptions, creating different reasons to set off the alarms. As in April, the IDF’s Arrow interceptors could be seen being launched before the sirens sounded.

What I was less prepared for was the fact that many of the ballistic missiles appeared to continue overhead, in large numbers and waves that lasted for 20 minutes. Sirens came and went, but the missiles could be seen streaking over, sometimes in groups of five or six, and sometimes in long lines. It was stunning, seeing burning balls of fire fly through the sky, giving the same almost awestruck feeling of watching a meteor enter the atmosphere. However, the knowledge that these were missiles with warheads that would land somewhere was sobering.

The ballistic missiles fired by Iran, around 180 of them the IDF said after the event, flew over Jerusalem, some toward central Israel and some toward southern Israel. Some of them were intercepted, from what I could see, but it appeared that many continued on their journey. Later videos shared on social media showed some of the missiles impacting Israel. (As of publication, there are reports of at least half a dozen killed in the strike.)

If any country is prepared to protect against this kind of attack, it’s Israel. The country has excellent air defenses and a good warning system in place to prepare people to take shelter in these kinds of attacks. In addition, the intelligence sharing with the United States is very good: An Israeli security official said after the attack that “in cooperation with AFCENT [the US Air Force component of Central Command], the IAF [Israel Air Force] operated in an effective and precise manner, intercepting most of the missiles — several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed.”

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also spoke with Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant before the attack unfolded. And speaking after the barrage, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told press that the USS Cole and USS Bulkeley fired “about” 12 interceptors during the attack but did not have an assessment yet on whether they hit their targets.

Overall, Ryder said, the US is seeing “minimal” damage on the ground, adding that “Israel was able to successfully defend itself, of course with support from the US.”

Nevertheless, despite the preparations, the sight of Iranian ballistic missiles raining down overhead is intensely disconcerting. It illustrates the power of Iran and its ability to coordinate large attacks.

It’s possible Iran hopes to normalize this kind of attack on Israel itself, now having made such a launch twice this year after decades of avoiding direct confrontation. Certainly, Iran is seeking to send a message to its proxies that it hasn’t completely abandoned them in the wake of the killing of Hezbollah’s leader.

For its part, Israel has reportedly pledged a widespread response to Iran’s actions tonight.

For now, the night is calm, and the louder noises — which would warn Israelis another round of missiles are incoming  — are absent. We’ll see how quiet the country, and the region, is in the morning.

Follow Breaking Defense’s full coverage of the region:

Lebanon’s military ‘repositioning’ itself as Israel invades – but for what?
‘The King doesn’t lie down to save the pawn’: Why Iran may let Hezbollah face Israel alone
After failure of Oct. 7, with Hezbollah Israel gets the war it trained for
For Lebanon, a war in all but name has finally arrived: Experts
OP ED: How Israel degraded Hezbollah for years to come, in 8 days
Exploding pagers, major strike: Israel turns its war aims north in ‘new phase’
US special ops official lays out ‘strategic’ reason for Israel to better protect civilians
In Northern Israel, empty villages and talk of war in Lebanon
In Sourthern Lebanon, empty villages, ruined crops and fears of what comes next