Iran has launched a wave of drones toward Israel, after American officials warned that hundreds of drones and missiles could rain down on the Jewish state over the weekend.
Iran accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike on its consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier this month. The strike killed seven officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, including two high-ranking generals. Israel stuck to its usual policy of silence on extraterritorial assassinations, but is widely believed to have been behind the attack.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to deal Israel a “slap in the face” in response, and American officials warned on Friday that Tehran could be gearing up for a massive drone and missile strike on Israeli soil in the following 24 to 48 hours.
The Iranian response appeared to begin at midday on Saturday when IRGC commandos seized an Israeli-linked container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
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14 April 2024
Iran has no plans to continue its military operation against Israel, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, says. However, he warned West Jerusalem that if it takes any further offensive actions against Tehran, they would be met with a “much more extensive” response.
The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Hossein Salami, claimed that Tehran’s attack on Israel was even more successful than previously believed.
“Up to this moment, our information on all the hits is not complete, but the part of the hits that we have accurate… reports about shows… that this operation happened with more success than expected,” he said, as quoted by the IRNA news agency.
He added that the “Zionist authorities and the terrorist army” as well as the US, Israel’s ally, “have recognized the devastating effects of these strikes better than we did.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Israel has successfully repelled the Iranian drone and missile strikes. “We have stopped them… Together we will win,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not support an Israeli counterattack against Iran in retaliation for the massive missile and drone strikes, Axis reported, citing unnamed US officials.
The US is said to be extremely concerned that an Israeli response could trigger a major war with “catastrophic consequences.” In light of this, Biden advised Netanyahu to “take the win,” according to an Axios source.
The Israeli prime minister reportedly told Biden that he understands the US stance on retaliatory strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has conducted airstrikes on military sites belonging to Iranian-linked Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces, a special unit whose primary mission is to infiltrate Israeli territory, in the Jbaa area of southern Lebanon.
Israeli fighter jets also struck Hezbollah military sites in the Khiam and Kfarkela areas in the same region, the IDF added, sharing a video of the raids.
Israel has reopened its airspace after being closed for seven hours due to the Iranian attack, according to the country’s Airports Authority. It added, however, that some flight schedules are subject to change.
The Pentagon has confirmed that US military forces in the Middle East intercepted “dozens” of drones and missiles “en route to Israel” launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen on Saturday.
“Our forces remain postured to protect US troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel’s defense, and enhance regional stability,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
He urged Iran to “immediately halt any further attacks,” adding that while the US is not seeking a direct confrontation with Iran, it will not “hesitate to act” in the event of a potential threat to US military forces or in support for Israeli defense.
President Joe Biden has praised the US military and American servicemembers for helping the IDF to deflect what he called an “unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel."
”At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the US military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,” Biden said in a statement published by the White House.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the Islamic Republic “will not hesitate to take more defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests against any aggressive military actions and illegal use of force,” referring to the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria.
Citing the goals and principles of the UN charter, Tehran reaffirmed “its determination to forcefully defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests against any unlawful use of force and aggressions,” the ministry added as cited by semi-government IRNA news agency.
US President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a meeting with his national security team, but the details of the discussions have not been disclosed.
The IDF has lifted the order for the residents to stay near shelters, indicating that for the time being the Iranian strike that saw over 200 drones and missiles launched, seems to be over.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called Iran’s retaliatory strike “unjustifiable and highly irresponsible,” saying it could lead to further escalation in the region. “Germany stands by Israel,” he stressed.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Iranian attack on Israel as a “serious escalation” and called for the immediate end of hostilities.
“Neither the region nor the world can afford another war,” he said in an post on X (formerly Twitter). “I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East."
Israel has sent a letter to the UN Security Council, urging the body to convene an extraordinary meeting to assess the escalation, Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan has announced. West Jerusalem wants the Council to condemn the Iranian attack and designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke to his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, informing him of the country’s actions in wake of the Iranian strikes, while the Pentagon chief reiterated Washington’s firm commitment to Israel’s security. The call has become the second phone conversation between the two ministers held over the past 24 hours.
Iran has launched over 200 kamikaze drones, ballistic and cruise missiles during the attack, the IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari has said. A majority of the projectiles has been intercepted outside of Israeli airspace, the official has claimed, adding that a small number of them have actually hit the country’s territory, inflicting minor damage.
Iranian media have circulated unverified footage, purportedly showing strikes on targets in the Israeli Negev desert, the home to several major military installations. Footage shows multiple projectiles in the sky, with two extremely fast missiles consecutively striking an unknown location in the desert.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan has condemned the Iranian attack, accusing Tehran of violating the UN Charter and urging the Secretary General Antonio Guterres to act.
“Iran has violated the UN charter and has shown that it is a threat to global peace and security. Where is your voice?? Where is your condemnation?? Wake up!!!” the diplomat wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
13 April 2024
US President Joe Biden has concluded a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room, releasing a brief statement to proclaim an “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s security.
The British military has deployed additional forces into the Middle East amid the Iranian attack on Israel, the country’s Defence Ministry has said. London has been actively working with its “regional partners in the interest of de-escalation,” the ministry noted.
“We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refueling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UK’s existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required,” the ministry explained.
More than 100 Iranian drones have been downed outside of Israel by the US and UK, an unnamed Israeli defense official told the country’s Army Radio.
An anonymous US official confirmed the claim to ABC News, stating several unmanned aircraft were shot down by the American military. The official did not reveal any exact figures.
The ongoing attack on Israel comes in retaliation to the strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Tehran’s permanent mission to the UN has said in a statement. The mission has also explicitly warned the US to “stay away” from the hostility between Tehran and “the rogue Israeli regime.”
“Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded,” the mission said, warning that “should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.”
Iran has launched a “direct attack” on Israel, the IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement, describing it as a “severe and dangerous escalation.”
“Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” he said, adding that the country has been “working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them.”
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his War Cabinet in Tel Aviv. According to Netanyahu’s office, the meeting is underway in The Kirya, a central area of the city, which houses a government district and a major urban military base.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned Iran’s “reckless attack against Israel,” accusing Tehran of “sowing chaos in its own backyard.”
“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq,” the PM said in a statement. “Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation. No-one wants to see more bloodshed.”
The IDF has said it has launched artillery and aerial strikes at several locations across southern Lebanon, claiming to have hit infrastructure used by Hezbollah. The Israeli military has stressed the strikes came in response to a drone attack launched from Lebanon earlier in the day on northern Israel. The drone strike left a security officer seriously injured.
Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani has warned any countries against abiding Israel and allowing it to use their territories for staging any attacks against the country.
“Whatever country that could open its soil or airspace to Israel for a [potential] attack on Iran, will receive our decisive response,” the minister stated.
US President Joe Biden has cut short his weekend stay at his beach house in Delaware, abruptly returning to Washington. The US president is set to convene a meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to assess the ongoing escalation in the Middle East.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has officially announced “extensive” strikes on Israel, stating it has launched “tens of missiles and drones against certain targets inside the occupied territories.” The attack comes in retaliation to “numerous crimes” supposedly committed by Israel, including an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month, the elite force said in a statement.
The Jordanian armed forces are in a state of high alert and will shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace, two security officials have told Reuters.
US President Joe Biden will meet with his national security team on Saturday evening to discuss Iran’s “airborne attack against Israel,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson has said in a statement.
“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad,” Watson continued. “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”
Iran has launched a wave of drones from its territory toward Israel, the IDF has announced. While the IDF did not give any figures, anonymous US and Israeli officials told Axios that “dozens” had been launched at once.
Unverified video shared on social media purportedly showed a number of Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones airborne over Iran. These one-way UAVs will likely take hours to reach Israel.
The IDF said that it is "monitoring all targets."
“Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran” for years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement. “Our defense systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and offense,” he continued, adding that “we will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination.”
Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will close for three hours, Israel’s Channel 12 News has reported. Jordan will also temporarily shut its airspace, according to the kingdom’s state media. Following these announcements, two Emirati planes en route to Israel turned back toward Dubai, Channel 12 reported.