Israel begins retaliatory strikes on Iran: Report

.

HERE WE GO. THREE SECONDS. AND

GOOD EVENING. I'M TRACE

GALLAGHER. IT'S 10 P.M. ON THE

EAST COAST, 7:00 HERE IN LOS

ANGELES. AND THIS IS A BREAKING

NEWS EDITION OF FOX NEWS AT

NIGHT. THERE ARE REPORTS COMING

IN THAT ISRAEL HAS NOW BEGUN

ITS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED

RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST

IRAN. NOW WE ARE TRACKING THESE

DEVELOPMENTS, AND WE ARE

HEARING THAT EXPLOSIONS HAVE

BEEN HEARD OVER IRAN PROPER, AS

WELL AS IN SOUTHERN SYRIA, AND

EXPLOSIONS HEARD ABOVE IRAQ. WE

DO NOT KNOW IF ANY AREAS OF

IRAQ WERE HIT. WE THINK THERE

WERE SOME EXPLOSIONS IN

SOUTHERN SYRIA AND THERE ARE

REPORTS OF POSSIBILITY OF

STRIKES IN SOUTHERN IRAN NEAR

THE NATANZ AND THE FOURTO

NUCLEAR FACILITIES. REMEMBER,

THESE ARE THE FACILITIES THAT

THAT ARE SAID TO BE PLACES THAT

YOU CAN PRODUCE NUCLEAR

WEAPONS. THEY ALSO HAVE A

URANIUM CONVERSION FACILITY IN

ISFAHAN. AND THIS IS ALSO IN

SOUTHERN IRAN. AND THERE ARE

REPORTS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN

AIRSTRIKES IN THAT AREA AS

WELL. LET'S GET LIVE ON THE

GROUND NOW TO TEL AVIV. THAT'S

WHERE TREY YINGST JOINS US

LIVE. TREY, WHAT ARE YOU

HEARING? WHAT ARE WE LEARNING?

YEAH. HEY, TRACE. GOOD EVENING.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE FOLLOWING

REPORTS OUT OF THE REGION OF

AIRSTRIKES TAKING PLACE IN

IRAN, IRAQ AND SYRIA. THE

ISRAELIS AT THIS MOMENT HAVE

NOT CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS THE

RETALIATION TO THAT MASSIVE

IRANIAN DRONE AND MISSILE

ATTACK LAST WEEKEND. BUT HERE'S

WHAT WE KNOW. SOME OUTLETS,

CITING AMERICAN OFFICIALS. AND

AGAIN, THESE ARE PRELIMINARY

REPORTS BASED ON THE

INFORMATION THAT WE ARE

GATHERING RIGHT NOW, WE'VE

REACHED OUT TO ISRAELI DEFENSE

OFFICIALS AND ARE WAITING FOR

COMMENT. LOCAL MEDIA IS

REPORTING EXPLOSIONS IN THE

IRANIAN CITY OF ISFAHAN.

ISFAHAN SITS ABOUT 200 MILES TO

THE SOUTH OF THE IRANIAN

CAPITAL OF TEHRAN. AT THIS

LOCATION, THERE IS AN IRANIAN

NUCLEAR FACILITY. THERE ARE

ALSO REPORTS OF ACTIVITY AT

OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS IRAN.

THIS IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE

REMEMBER THE INITIAL REPORTING

LEADING UP TO TONIGHT HAD TO DO

WITH WHAT MIGHT BE A LIMITED

ISRAELI RESPONSE TO THIS LARGE

SCALE ATTACK. LAST WEEKEND

CONDUCTED BY THE IRANIANS. SO

IN TERMS OF THE TARGETS THAT

WERE LIKELY HIT IN ANY SORT OF

STRIKE AND RETALIATION FROM THE

ISRAELIS, YOU ARE LOOKING AT

NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILITIES.

ADDITIONALLY, ANY SORT OF IRGC

LOCATIONS ACROSS THE MIDDLE

EAST IN PLACES LIKE SYRIA AND

IRAQ AND THEN IRANIAN BACKED

PROXIES ACROSS THE REGION. AND

SO IRAN BACKED IRAQI AND SYRIAN

SHIA MILITIAS CERTAINLY WOULD

BE ON THAT TARGET LIST FOR THE

ISRAELIS. THE ISRAELIS LOOKING

TO SEND A MESSAGE TO IRAN, IF

THIS IS CONFIRMED, THAT THEY

ARE BEHIND THESE STRIKES, NOT

TO EVER ATTACK DIRECTLY FROM

IRANIAN TERRITORY TOWARD ISRAEL

, AND ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THEY

WILL KEEP CONTROL OF THEIR

PROXIES ACROSS THE REGION. THE

BIG CONCERN HERE HAS TO DO WITH

THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR

ASPIRATIONS, AND I WANT TO

BREAK DOWN SOMETHING VERY

IMPORTANT HERE, TRACE, BECAUSE

IF IT IS CONFIRMED THAT ISFAHAN

WAS ONE OF THE TARGETS FOR THE

ISRAELIS TONIGHT IN THIS

RETALIATION, IT IS SIGNIFICANT

FOR TWO REASONS. WE'LL POINT

BACK TO JUNE OF LAST YEAR, WHEN

THE UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG WAS

CONCERNED, AND THAT THEY WENT

INTO A PROBE AND FOUND URANIUM

PARTICLES THAT WERE ENRICHED UP

TO 83, JUST SHORT OF THE 90%

WEAPONS GRADE MATERIAL LINE, AN

INDICATION THAT IRAN IS GETTING

VERY CLOSE TO THE ABILITY TO

CREATE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. OTHER

WATCHDOGS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL

MONTHS HAVE SAID THE IRANIAN

BREAKOUT TIME FOR SUCH A WEAPON

IS BASICALLY ZERO, AND THIS

MEANS IRAN, IN RESPONSE TO

THIS, MAY NOT REACT MILITARILY,

BUT COULD SAY THEY ARE CHANGING

THEIR NUCLEAR DOCTRINE. ONE

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTE HERE TRACE

. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE IRANIAN

ATTACK LAST WEEKEND, IRAN FOR

THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR

COUNTRY'S HISTORY, FIRED ON

ISRAEL DIRECTLY WITH WHAT

APPEARED TO BE SHAHAB BALLISTIC

MISSILES. THESE ARE THE

MISSILES THAT IF IRAN WERE TO

CREATE A NUCLEAR WARHEAD, THEY

WOULD USE TO TARGET

IN THE COUNTRY AROUND THE WORLD

AND THEY USED THIS MISSILE LAST

WEEKEND WITHOUT A NUCLEAR

WARHEAD AND THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL

IN TARGETING ISRAEL SO AGAIN

TONIGHT WE ARE UNABLE TO CONFIRM

REPORTS AT THIS MOMENT BUT

INITIAL REPORTING INDICATES

EXPLOSIONS IN IRAN AND IRAQ AND

SYRIA AND THIS DOES COME ON THE

HEELS OF THE THROATS OF ISRAELI

RETALIATION FOLLOWING THE

IRANIAN ATTACK LAST WEEKEND THAT

INCLUDED BALLISTIC MISSILES AND

CRUISE MISSILES AND DRONES.

>> AND I WILL ASK YOU ABOUT THE

DIPLOMACY VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE

THERE WERE REPORTS COMING OUT OF

QATAR TODAY THAT THE UNITED

STATES SAID THEY WOULD OKAY

ISRAEL GOING IN TO RAFAH A

MISSION IN RAFAH, IF THEY DID

NOT RETALIATE AGAINST IRAN SO IS

IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT IT

APPEARS AS OF LATE TODAY THAT

THE UNITED STATES DID NOT OR WAS

NOT PRIVY TO ANY INFORMATION

ABOUT THIS ATTACK OR IS IT JUST

TOO SOON TO KNOW?

>> IT IS TOO SOON TO KNOW THAT

WE SHOULD NOTE THE ISRAEL THESE

WERE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH

AMERICANS IN AN INFORMAL

COALITION TO RESPOND TO THE IRAN

BALLISTIC MISSILE AND DRONE

ATTACK LAST WEEKEND THIS IS AN

IMPORTANT NOTE HERE BECAUSE IN

THE PAST THERE HAVE BEEN NO

FORMAL AGREEMENTS FOR THE UNITED

STATES AND OTHERS TO SHOOT DOWN

INCOMING MISSILES OR DRONES

TOWARD ISRAEL BUT THERE WAS A

CLEARLY COORDINATED EFFORT AND

ACCORDING TO BRIEFINGS THAT I

WAS A PART OF WITH TOP ISRAELI

AIR FORCE OFFICIALS THE TRAINING

FOR THE NATION TO SHOOT DOWN THE

MISSILES AND DRONES WENT ON FOR

MONTHS PRIOR TO THE IRAN ATTACK

SO WE DO HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE

THAT THE ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN IN

CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE

AMERICANS AND THAT THEY WOULD

INFORM THE UNITED STATES AHEAD

OF ANY SORT OF ACTION AGAINST

TARGETS IN IRAN AT THIS MOMENT

AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HEAR

OVERHEAD THE CIVILIAN AIRSPACE

OVER ISRAEL IS NOT CLOSED BUT WE

ARE FOLLOWING AND TRACKING OF

FLIGHTS TOWARD IRAN AND CAN

CONFIRM THAT SOME CIVILIAN

AIRLINERS ACTUALLY TURNED BACK

FROM THE GOLF THEY WERE HEADED

TOWARD THE IRAN CAPITAL TEHRAN

AND MADE A U-TURN AMID THESE

REPORTS OF ISRAELI STRIKES IN

IRAN TERRITORY THE ISRAELIS WILL

CERTAINLY WANT TO ACT WITH

DECISIVE ACTION THEY WANT TO

CATCH THE IRANIANS OFF GUARD

UNLIKE WHAT WE SAW IN THE WEEKS

PRIOR AHEAD OF THE IRAN ATTACK

AGAINST ISRAEL BECAUSE AGAIN THE

ISRAELIS ARE LOOKING TO SEND A

CLEAR MESSAGE TO IRAN THAT ANY

SORT OF DIRECT ATTACK TOUR IS

REALLY TERRITORY WILL NOT BE

ACCEPTED.

I ALSO WANT TO NOTE ONE OTHER

THING FOLLOWING A BRIEFING WITH

ISRAELI AIR FORCE OFFICIALS WHO

SAY THEY ARE ON HIGH ALERT

ACROSS THIS COUNTRY FEARING IRAN

RETALIATION EVERYONE FROM IRAN'S

SUPREME LEADER THE AYATOLLAH TO

PRESIDENTS AND SOME TOP I RGC

OFFICIALS THIS WEEK MADE CLEAR

THEY WOULD REACT WITH WHAT THEY

CALLED IT IMMEDIATELY TO ANY

SORT OF ISRAELI RESPONSE TO THE

ATTACK OF THE WEEKEND SO ISRAELI

AIR DEFENCE AS WE SPEAK IS ON

THE HIGH ALERT IN THIS COUNTRY

EVERYTHING FROM THE IRON DOME

THAT WOULD PICK UP A FIRE FROM

PLACES LIKE SOUTHERN LEBANON

WITH THE LARGEST IRAN EPOXY IN

THE REGION HAS BELOW AND SOME

LARGER AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS LIKE

THE ARROW SYSTEM THAT WE

ACTUALLY SAW HERE IN TEL AVIV

DURING THE IRAN ATTACK LAST

WEEKEND AT THE INTERCEPTING OF

SOME OF THOSE DRONES AND

BALLISTIC MISSILES THE ONLY

QUESTION TONIGHT IS WHAT WERE

THE TARGETS IN THIS APPARENT

ISRAELI RESPONSE TO THE IRAN

ATTACK LAST WEEKEND, AGAIN THE

ISRAELIS HAVE A VARIETY OF

TARGETS THAT THEY COULD HIT, NOT

JUST INSIDE IRAN'S TERRITORY BUT

ACROSS THE REGION UNDERSTANDING

THAT IRAN WOULD DO IT BASES

PLACES LIKE IRAQ AND SYRIA AND

ALSO SUPPORTING MILITIAS IN

THOSE AREAS THAT GIVE THEM WHAT

HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS FOX NEWS

AS AN OCTOPUS TENTACLES ACROSS

THE MIDDLE EAST STRETCHING IRAN

INFLUENCED NOT ONLY THREATEN

ISRAEL BUT ALSO TO THREATEN

AMERICAN FORCES ACROSS THE

REGION AND AS WE SET ON

OCTOBER 7 THE REGIONAL TENSION

THAT FOLLOWED NUMEROUS ATTACKS

ON AMERICAN BASES ACROSS THE

MIDDLE EAST PART OF THIS

RESPONSE IS LIKELY TO STRIKE

FEAR INTO THESE IRAN BACKED IRAQ

AND SHE UP MILITIAS THAT ARE

OPERATING ACROSS THE REGION

ENDIF IT IS CONFIRMED THAT THIS

IS THE CITY JUST 200 MILES TO

THE SOUTH OF TEHRAN THIS WOULD

BE SIGNIFICANCE TO SHOW THE

ISRAELIS STEPPING UP IRANIAN

NUCLEAR FACILITIES AND BACK IN

2020 AND NOVEMBER OF 2020 THE

ISRAELIS IN A COVERT OPERATION

KILLED EIGHT TOP NUCLEAR

SCIENTIST THIS IS A MAN

RESPONSIBLE FOR YEARS WHEN IT

CAME TO THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR

PROGRAM AND THEY DEVELOP AND

START A NUCLEAR WEAPON WHEN THE

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL FROM 2015

COLLAPSED IRAN AND STARTED

ENRICHING URANIUM CLOSER AND

CLOSER TO WEAPONS MATERIAL AND

THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT THEY

WOULD ULTIMATELY CREATE A

NUCLEAR WEAPON AND THEN ATTACH

THAT WARHEAD TO A BALLISTIC

MISSILE LIKE THE ONE FIRED

TOWARD ISRAEL OVER THE WEEKEND

AND TARGET THE JEWISH STATE WITH

SUCH A PROJECTILE WE UNDERSTAND

THE BREAKOUT PERIOD IS ANYWHERE

FROM ZERO DAYS TO A MATTER OF

DAYS AND POSSIBLY EVEN A WEEK

ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL

OBSERVERS AND THE CONCERN FOR

ISRAEL IS THAT YOU COULD GET

THIS ENRICHED URANIUM TO GET A

NUCLEAR BOMB THAT WOULD TARGET

THIS COUNTRY.

IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING IF

THE TARGET WAS THIS TOP RESEARCH

FACILITY INSIDE IRAN IT

TERRITORY GOOD ISRAEL HAS BEEN

VERY CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE THE

TARGETS ALREADY CHOSEN INSIDE

IRAN AND THEY ARE READY TO

RATCHET UP THE PRESSURE ON THE

IRAN REGIME IF THERE'S ANY SORT

OF RESPONSE TO THIS

COUNTERSTRIKE FOLLOWING THE

ATTACK LAST WEEKEND THAT W