Tel Aviv / Tehran — Israel is reeling after what officials describe as a “ballistic tsunami” from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a coordinated missile onslaught that temporarily overwhelmed layers of Israeli air defenses and punched devastating holes in the IDF’s sense of invincibility.

For nearly half an hour, sirens howled from Haifa to Beersheba as radar screens filled with hundreds of incoming tracks. Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow batteries fired at maximum rate, but Iranian salvos of heavy ballistic missiles, decoy rockets and drone swarms saturated the system. Several warheads crashed into military logistics hubs, fuel depots and at least one airbase, setting off towering fireballs visible for miles. Casualty figures remain murky, but emergency rooms across central Israel are overflowing.

In Tehran, veteran power broker Ali Larijani appeared on state TV to deliver what anchors called a “final warning.” Seated before IRGC officers and missile mock‑ups, he declared that “the next wave will not be limited to bases” if Washington and Tel Aviv do not halt operations and accept Iran’s terms. His message was laced with both menace and calculation: Iran can escalate further, he said, but is “offering the last political exit” before a wider regional inferno.

Israeli leaders vowed to restore deterrence “by any means necessary,” convening an emergency war cabinet as jets roared into the night sky. Analysts warn that with Israel’s defenses visibly strained and Tehran publicly brandishing its ability to overwhelm them, both sides are entering the most dangerous phase yet — a showdown where fear of appearing weak may drive decisions more than cold military logic.