Why Iran has launched missile attack on Israel - and what happens next

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Iran's attack tonight has been a long time coming, with Tehran showing relative restraint until now. The question on everyone's lips is what Israel will do next.It seems highly likely that Israel will respond with major missile attacks against Iran's nuclear missile programme, believing it has no other option.

However, this could be seen as an existential threat by Iran, whose entire purpose since the 1979 revolution has been to assert itself as the Middle East's power broker.If Iran backs down now, it would be seen as a sign of weakness within the Tehran regime - and the momentum towards all-out war and continued missile exchanges may be unstoppable.

This Iranian action is seen as the long-awaited revenge strike for the loss of many commanders in its Hezbollah proxy force - first with the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, followed by the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group.Attacks on Hezbollah crossed Iran's red lines, as this group is Iran's most valuable asset abroad, an extension of its military and terrorist hegemony.

The recent missile strike has escalated tensions, with experts fearing the ongoing violence could persist for several months.