Between israel and an arab neighbor. Katy tur picks up our breaking News Coverage right now. Good to be with you. Im Katy Tur in for chris jansing. We are watching israel and waiting for a Damage Assessment after iran sent dozens, perhaps more, of ballistic missiles at the country, including tel aviv. This is what it looked like and sounded like add it was happening. [ sirens ] in a statement, iran says the missiles were in honor of hezbollah leader nasrallah where the israelis killed with a 2,000 Pound Bunker busting bomb In Beirut last friday. If israel responds, iran says it will face crushing attacks. So will israel respond . Theyre already indicating, yes, they will. The u. S. And allies have been trying to convince all the parties involved to work toward a Cease Fire worried the continued escalation of attacks between Hezbollah And Israel and now iran could lead to all out war. Meanwhile, as the Iron Dome was trying to intercept these missiles, israeli News Outlets were reporting a Shooting Attack in jaffa in tel aviv. A u. S. Official tells Nbc News eight individuals were killed and nine wounded. The attack involved at least one shooter who got off of the Mass Transit Line and started Firing A semiautomatic rifle. Erin mcloughlin is in jerusalem. Matt bradley is In Beirut. Keir simmons is in doha and also with me is ambassador pinkus. Erin, im going to start with you. Jerusalem. What was it like there . What is it like now . Reporter an uneasy calm has settled over the city but as 6 30, it was uneasy. 6 30 local time. That is when the first sirens sounded. In fact, i was standing right here reporting on that Terror Attack you mentioned that unfolded in jaffa. As we were getting in those details, thats when we heard the sirens and then suddenly, we saw streaking across the night sky, the lights from the Iron Domes intercepter missiles. That quickly followed by a series of explosions. Our team estimates that they saw dozens of intercepter missiles. Most of those missiles moving in the direction of tel aviv. And people were out in the Streets Cheering and honking their horns, celebrating in a way, the response of the Iron Dome defense system. But now an easy calm has settled. Again, as i said, over the city. As the israeli officials are conducting Damage Assessments. We heard from an israeli Military Spokesperson say that there will be a response to this missile attack. We are waiting word on the nature of that attack in a full again damage, of that response and a full again Damage Assessment, but again, No One was injured. So far that we have heard in the attack from iran. So is the feeling right now, is the word right now, erin, that this is all over . That this was the only Missile Firing that iran was going to make this evening . That there is now going to be calm . Reporter well, you know, all we know is what we heard from the israeli Military Spokesperson. He said for now, they have seen no signs of further launches and they are assessing damage and vowing a response. Thats all we know, but as we know here in the Middle East, anything could happen. And this region is bracing for the potential of further escalation. All right. Matt bradley, this is all in part because of the killing of nasrallah In Beirut. Also in iran, one of the leaders of hamas. What is it like In Beirut and has there been any reaction from hezbollah . Reporter yeah, it was the killing of those two months before but also one of the names that was mentioned by the iranian was the killing of nashon. A senior commander of the irgc. Not a Household Name like nasrallah but he was an iranian national who was killed in that same bunker, as you mentioned the Bunker Blasting bombs dove into the ground into the meeting of senior hezbollah officials. According to the israelis, about 20 of them were killed at that time. All of that in the Neighborhood Right off my right shoulder here. This was another point of vengeance that the iranian took care of tonight with this broad and really unprecedented direct fire. We saw this back in april, but this was quantitatively so much bigger than what we saw several months ago. The extreme fired back in april and i was in israel for that. That was really felt more symbolic. It felt like the iranian were trying to show that they were doing something to the iranian public. That they were confronting the israelis and the israelis had their own symbolic retaliation. I think were well beyond that at this point. The fact is that you know, this sort of fight between these two nations, we see the actual fighting in the proxies. Here with hezbollah fighting against israel on the ground as we just saw last night when the israelis had you know, had an invasion essentially into lebanon. We dont know what that looked like. We have no real eyes on the ground to see that. We can only trust from what we heard from the israelis that it was limited. That they really didnt go further than Walking Distance from the lebanese Israeli Border. The fact is this is something like the Cold War where theres an actual exchange of fire between the two that are fighting each other. In this case, iran and israel. Its almost always fight and the dying is almost always down by proxy groups and thats what were seeing here in lebanon. And thats why these sort of situations over this lebanese Israeli Border are such a Flash Point in this broader, region wide war that were seeing in its stages. They have long styled themselves as leaders of the resistance so when we talk about the kind of tactical fight between them, its less tactical and more symbolic. Thats why were hearing words like revenge and vengeance. Nobodys trying to necessarily capture a hill and hold it or take a city. Its a different kind of fighting. Its about pride. Displaying the turns. That in a way makes it so much more dangerous and unpredictable, but at the same time, it makes it manageable with diplomacy and thats what a lot of people in washington, United Nations, theyre going to be trying to figure out how to appease these two sides anned keep it from escalating. So far, weve heard from the israelis tonight. The main spokesman, hes a rear admiral, saying there were no injuries on the ground. Well, if that stays the case then its possible that we could see both Sides Kind of stepping back. But if that isnt the case as i said before, this is fundamentally a Proxy War despite the fireworks and the spectacular display of ballistic missiles tonight. The main fighting and the main dying going on are in places here in lebanon where there are civilian casualties in the thousands. Where there are huge exoduses of people moving from Southern Lebanon up north because of the ceaseless now israeli attacks on Southern Lebanon and now in this neighborhood in the past two weeks. Again, right off my right shoulder. So the people who are going to pay the price are probably not going to be in these two nations. Its going to be in the other places where iranbacked groups like hezbollah, the socalled Axis Of Resistance, are expected to take a stand against the israelis and those are where were going to see a lot of the casualties as we see this region wide war which weve been fearing and really just dreading. Everybody in the region for the better part of the past year. As were now seeing that erupt. I will add this. There would be a lot more casualties in israel if there was not the Iron Dome. Given the number of missiles that are, have been fired on that country and have been you know, launched at them. Especially in the past year after October 7th but obviously before that as well. I want to bring in Keir Simmons in doha. Keir, youre in doha. The iranian president , brandnew iranian president , is expected to be there for another conference. Whats he going there for . Are his plans going to change . Reporter the stunning thing is that hes still coming, we are told, by officials with knowledge of the visit. Thats right. Hes expected here in doha tomorrow morning. So within 24 hours of iran launching an attack on israel, the iranian president is expected to arrive here he was at the United Nations just days ago and trying ostensibly to talk about wanting negotiations. There will be many cynical about that ambitious described by the iranian president and whether the iranian really mean it, but shortly after the kinds of things he was saying, you then saw the assassination of nasrallah by the israelis and there was criticism in iran of what he had said at the United Nations. So there are internal stresses to say the least in iran. Which is just across the water from qatar. Those missiles flying in and being intercepted in this region fired from iran itself as matt was suggesting. That is what is truly significant about all of this. Then there is the messaging that we are hearing from the iranian significantly from the revolutionary guard which is the armed section of the iranian establishment. If you want to call it that. And then the Iran Mission to the United Nations. Two things to pick out from that statement from the Iran Mission at the u. N. It begins by talking about irans legal, rational, and legitimate response to the Terrorist Agents of the Zionist Regime. So iran trying to say in its words that it believes what it has done tonight is proportionate. At The End of that statement, should the Zionist Regime dare to respond or commit further acts, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue. Thats what we heard from the revolutionary guard a short time before that statement was released by the Iran Mission to the u. N. It tells us that the iranian believe they havent thrown everything at this. If you want to put it like that. It also tells us that the risk of escalation is very real tonight. The israelis saying they will respond. The iranian saying if you respond, our next attack will be crushing. Now, i think just a pause there, katy, back in april, the israelis responded by attacking iran and they fired on isfan and what they hit was a surface to air missile battery. So that attack by the israelis got through any Air Defenses iran might have and hit a surface to air missile battery. That i think was a message from the israelis to say to the iranian we have the capability to take out your Missile Capability. We can go Toe To toe with you and why that is significant is because when you hear the iranian say were going to escalate if the israelis respond, keep in mind that iranian at the same time will be very aware of the capability that israel has combined with the u. S. And other allies and they will be calculating exactly what the consequences of their next move will be while feeling like they are shouting diplomatically. One other aspect of this, its not clear to us here where we are just how many missiles have been fired by the iranian. One agency reporting tens, another quoting a jordanian official saying that hundreds of iranian missiles were fired toward israel. Andrea mitchell confirming with the jordanians that they were involved in intercepting this barrage from iran. The new york times reports according to an israeli official that they believe their initial assessment was 200. So those numbers are in flux right now. I will also mention this. Part of the calculation is that without the iran nuclear deal, its about a week before iran has the ability to make a nuclear bomb. Enough enriched uranium. Let me ask you about the qataris. Theyve been Chief Mediators between israel and are The Ones still talking to iran. We officially are not. Whats the qatari response been to this . Reporter i speak to them, you know for example that the hamas has a political office here in doha. Part of that socalled Axis Of Resistance responsible for the October 7th attacks. So about the fact the iranian president is going to be here within a few hours. The qataris do have a very close relationship with the u. S. And actually, a relationship that just in recent weeks has appeared to get closer. They have a relationship with both sides and they say Theres Value in that and they say Theres Value in that and this is what the qataris would tell you. They say Theres Value in that because they are part of a group of diplomats who would be able to deescalate and you mentioned the iranian nuclear program. I think one of the questions on the minds of some will be whether part of this escalation might be the israelis focused on that nuclear program of the iranian. Whether the israelis might see an opportunity to try to target that. That is a long way down the track and at this stage, but you can see how escalating attacks by both sides. Weve now had a Sect Attack by iranian on israel. Weve had an attack by israelis on iran and they say theyre going to do that again. You can see why there are some who say maybe Thats Something that we should be factoring into the conversation as we look ahead. What would that mean. That kind of escalation. How dangerous would that be. The military will call that mission. Lets bring in richard engel. Our chief international correspondent whose in lebanon. Richard, where does Hezbollah Stand now without nasrallah, without so many of their leaders below him. So many mid level players. A number of the ever day soldiers injured. Where does Hezbollah Stand . Reporter well, hezbollah has been weakened significantly over the last two weeks. In a way that many in the region find shocking. Even within hezbollah. Im in Southern Lebanon right now, an area considered a hezbollah stronghold. You can just see by what happened today that hezbollah is not the same organization that it was a few weeks ago. A few months ago. Its leadership is in a state of disarray. Israel crossed the Border And Israel and hezbollah didnt engage in the fight. It held back. A few hundred israeli troops crossed into lebanon. They stayed close to the Israeli Border and it seemed like a come on. The israelis were talking about crossing in yesterday. They were making it quite obviously they intended to cross the border. They did in fact cross the Border And Hezbollah hung back. In fact, on hezbollah Television Today and statements from hezbollah, they were saying the israelis didnt even cross in. This is a show. So it seems at this stage for now this could change. Were only really on Day One of this Ground War that hezbollah is choosing not to engage directly with the israelis at this point. It could be because their communications are in such disarray. The israelis using sabotage blew up first their pager then walkie talkies. By the way, hezbollah used these low Tech Devices to avoid smartphones. Nasrallah was saying dont use smartphones because the israelis and americans get into them and can use them to monitor your activities so they were using much lower Tech Devices. Instead, the israelis put bombs inside and turned them into booby traps. They killed nasrallah himself bombing his bunker in south beirut. Now crossing in, it seems like israel wants to eliminate the Fighting Force of hezbollah and at this stage, Hezbollah Isnt interested in that fight is holding back and partly its politics. Trying to show to the rest of the iranian regime, that it is strong. That it will not allow its proxies to be dismantled but it didnt show a lot of strength because what we saw overhead were not hundreds of ballistic missiles exploding inside of israel but we saw hundreds of ballistic missiles blowing up in the sky before they got to their targets. Thats just a good point. Im glad, richard, you brought it up as well. The reason were not seeing the Death And Destruction within israel like were seeing in gaza or we saw with lebanon is because of that Iron Dome. Its not like theyre not people out there, groups out there, that are desperately trying to kill israelis. Theres better technology thats been aided to keep the country safe. Whats your current assessment of things . Of what happens next . What are you worried about . Im worried about that this will spiral out of control. Do you think that netanyahu wants it to . Yes. But that i was going to leave that as the last point. This sort of caters to mr. Netanyahus narrative that this was not a savage Terror Attack in 2023 but part of a bigger civilization war. This is and the epicenter is iran. After the Iron Dome, youre right. By the way, israelis, not mr. Netanyahu because he cant bring himself to do that, but israelis should thank President Obama for funding, extra funding the Iron Dome when israel needed it badly. Second, you mentioned it and youre right, the u. S. s involvement. Nbcs correspondents mentioned the jordanians were involved. I wouldnt be surprised to find in the next few days that other countries were involved. Maybe britain. Saudi arabia. Maybe the emirates. Maybe qatar. We dont know. Is that because the region doesnt want there to be instability . The region wants normalization with israel. The region wants things to cool down. Absolutely. Qatar, for example, they need to cohabitate somehow. Take the chinese. We havent spoken about china. The chinese, 60 of chinas exports to europe go through the Suez Canal via the Red Sea. When, it raises products if we live in amsterdam or rome. By the way, the price of oil is up because of this. Well, obviously. Because of the uncertainty and unpredictability. No one