Israel’s attacks are rallying support for Iran's government and bolstering hardliners, experts say

Experts told CNN that Israel's attacks are bolstering regime hardliners and gaining support for the Iranian government, including from those who have been critical of the regime.

“What we are seeing from the public, even including those who have been critical of the government and establishment, is calling for a strike or response against Israel,” said Abas Aslani, a journalist and researcher in Tehran.

According to him, "They have been supporting what Iranian armed forces have been doing in response to Israeli aggression." According to Senior Associate Fellow HA Hellyer at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, the attacks are bolstering hawkish Iranians.

“When you have this turn of events where, in the middle of negotiations, the United States did not hold back its closest ally in the region from embarking on a war,” he said. “I think it’s very difficult to see how it wouldn’t be that the hardliners in Iran would be immensely strengthened.”

How global energy security is threatened by Israel's targeting of Iranian oil infrastructure

Iran and Qatar share the world's largest gas field, South Pars, which Israel has targeted as part of its energy infrastructure. Becky Anderson of CNN talks to analyst Firas Maksad about how this escalation threatens global energy security in a big way.

Damage but no injuries after latest wave of Iranian strikes on Israel

The latest round of Iranian strikes on Tuesday morning has resulted in the Israeli military stating that residents can now leave shelters and other protected areas across the country. “Search and Rescue forces are operating in several locations across the country in which reports of fallen projectiles were received,” said the Israel Defense Forces.

 A bus that appeared to be empty was struck and set on fire in the central coastal city of Herzliya, according to photos released by Fire and Rescue.  

The incident occurred in a parking lot, according to a Herzliya municipality spokesperson, with security forces and city employees present. Social media video showed part of a smoking projectile lying on the pavement next to a vehicle in a residential area of Ibthan, in the central District.

 Emergency workers responded to several reported impact sites, but so far no one has been reported injured by the strikes, said Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service.