Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday night had failed. While Iran said 90% of the missiles successfully struck the intended targets, Israel said 70% of the missiles were intercepted.

Netanyahu vowed retaliation at a security meeting. “Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it,” he said. “The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”

Iran has said its missile attack against Israel — dubbed Operation True Promise 2 — was an act of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN charter. Iran said the attack’s objectives were purely military and had international legitimacy.

Article 51 states: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.”

Iran has announced the operation has concluded unless Israel retaliates.

Major General Mohd Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, Iran, said: “If the Zionist regime takes action against Iran, we will target all its infrastructures.”

Israel has said 10 million civilians were targeted by Iran.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Iran has committed a serious act, pushing the Middle East towards escalation. The IDF said: “There will be consequences to these events and we will act at a time and place we decide”.