The unsettling sound of sirens and Iranian missiles exploding over Israel on Tuesday night signaled a significant escalation in the Middle East conflict.
"Everybody’s going to be on high alert tonight. I don’t think anybody is going anywhere," said Yarden Abed.
Abed, from Carmel Valley, moved to Tel Aviv last week for business school.
Hours before the attack, he received an alert on his phone warning him to go to the nearest bomb shelter. He rushed to one at his cousin’s house down the street, bringing food and water to prepare for a long night.
"All of a sudden, you hear boom boom, really loud explosions that sound right above your head," Abed said. "People are trying to stay positive but are also reaching out to their family members to make sure they’re okay."
For the next few hours, Abed sheltered with around 20 others.
"Any day, any night you’re in Israel, you just have to be ready. Everyone should know I’m okay. I’m following the guidelines the Israeli government set for us. I know they’ll protect us."
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Israel has been in conflict with Iranian proxy group Hezbollah for decades. Last week, Israeli defense forces killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in southern Lebanon. Iran responded Tuesday by launching nearly 200 ballistic missiles.
"How does this widen the war in the Middle East?"
"With Iran becoming more directly involved, the likelihood of escalation increases compared to where we were a few months ago," said Benjamin Radd, an Iranian political science professor at University of California, Los Angeles.
Radd said the stakes are now higher than ever.
"Israel could use this as a chance to once and for all attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, communications infrastructure, or oil refineries, severely weakening Iran’s ability to function economically or respond," Radd said.
U.S. and Israeli leaders said they worked together to minimize Iran’s attack, though some missiles hit central and southern Israel. It’s unclear whether anyone was injured. The U.S. National Security Advisor said there would be severe consequences after the attack but did not provide further details.
"I think the worst of it is over," Abed said.
Abed recently received an alert to return home as U.S. leaders consult with Israel on the next steps.
