Wednesday’s front pages are dominated by last night’s escalation in the Middle East following Iran’s missile attack on Israel (in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the killing of the Hezbollah leader) and Israel’s vow to respond. It has led to fears that an all-out war is on the horizon. 

Many of the newspaper’s editorials and leader columns call on greater diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

‘Middle East erupts’

‘Middle East erupts amid missiles and terror knife attack,’ reports the Times.

The Times features an image of the missiles streaking across the sky in the city of Ashkelon along with the headline: “Middle East erupts.” The paper also features an image of two men “on a rampage” in Tel Aviv. A shooting and knife attack left at least 6 people dead in what police say was a terrorist attack. 

The paper says there will be heavy scrutiny of one disputed fact – whether or not the US was able to warn Israel about the missiles. Iran’s representative office at the UN is said to have originally denied alerting the US to the attack. But later U-turned and said there had been a notification. This, the Times suggests, would make it seem “Iran is still reluctant to take Israel head on”.

‘Iran’s new blitz at Israel is a revenge attack for Israel’s raids on Lebanon,’ writes the Metro.

The Metro calls it “Iran’s new blitz at Israel” which follows a similar missile bombardment in April. The paper notes the attack is a “revenge attack” after Israel’s “raids on Lebanon.” 

‘Fears of an all-out war,’ claims the Mirror and the i. “Hellfire” says the Sun.

The Daily Mirror also notes “revenge” and suggests there are “fears of all-out war.” The i newspaper “fears of a new war.” “Hellfire” is how the Sun sums up Iran’s missile attack. 

‘Israel vows to retaliate’ 

Several papers look beyond the Iranian attack and focus on Israel’s vow to retaliate whilst the editorials call for greater diplomatic efforts to end the violence

‘Conflict spiralling in dangerous, fast-growing, open-ended conflict,’ writes the Guardian.

The Guardian says the conflict looks to be “spiralling out of control.” The paper’s editorial reports that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has no exit strategy – and like most editorials – calls for diplomatic efforts to step up. The paper says without a diplomatic process, there are few limits to the crisis – only what the Guardian calls a “dangerous, fast‑growing, open-ended conflict”.

‘Israel vows revenge’, writes the Mail which also reports a global war is now on the table.

The Mail says Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile defences held firm and now the country “vows vengeance.” The paper’s special correspondent, David Patrikarakos, says “the only surprise” was that the Iranian attack had not “come sooner”. By splitting resources between two fronts in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is, he says, embarking on a “hard and brutal road”. And he warns a regional, and possibly global, war is now “all too real”.

‘USA threatening Iran with a severe response,’ splashes the Express.

The Express says the US has threatened Iran with a “severe response” following the attack on Israel. The paper says “the world watched in horror” as the missiles were launched. 

In its editorial, the paper says “military action must not be divorced from diplomacy.” The Mirror also warns that while international diplomacy is failing we must not abandon hope. 

‘US won’t support Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities just yet,’ quotes the FT.

The FT reports on the “Lebanon exodus” saying a million people are seeking shelter from the fighting. Elsewhere, former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council Itamar Yaar tells the paper he thinks it is very unlikely Israel would attack Iran’s nuclear facilities without US support, something he suspects would not be forthcoming in the next few months as the US prepares for the November 2024 election. 

‘US and UK should decide what to do about Iran, not Israel,’ says the Telegraph’s leader column.

The Daily Telegraph features an article written by a journalist on the ground who says “a rocket missed me by a minute.” 

In its editorial, the paper says there are concerns about Israeli “mission creep” that could lead the entire Middle East into war. The paper says Tehran is the main cause of the region’s instability and the US and UK should decide what to do about Iran, not Israel.