Iran has fired a barrage of missiles and armed drones at Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike in Damascus that killed a number of senior Iranian commanders, pushing the Center East nearer to a full-blown regional conflict.
Simply earlier than 2am Israeli time sirens went off in Jerusalem, throughout southern and northern Israel and within the occupied Golan Heights. Skies over Israel have been lit up by incoming missiles and Israeli air defence interceptors.
Daniel Hagari, Israel’s army spokesman, mentioned Iran had fired greater than 300 projectiles, together with 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles at Israel.
Talking at a briefing at 7am native time on Sunday he mentioned 99 per cent had been intercepted, and that Israel was ready for additional developments.
“The occasion has not ended,” he mentioned. “We’re nonetheless prepared and ready for added threats and situations.”
US President Joe Biden, who spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night Washington time, condemned the “unprecedented” assault by Iran and its proxies working out of Yemen, Syria and Iraq.
US plane and two US destroyers, one among which Washington moved to the area over the previous week, “helped Israel take down almost all the incoming drones and missiles”, he mentioned. US defence secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned US forces had intercepted “dozens” of projectiles as he referred to as on Iran to “de-escalate tensions”.
Biden mentioned he would convene different G7 leaders on Sunday “to co-ordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen assault”. Following a request from Israel, the UN Safety Council additionally scheduled an emergency assembly for Sunday to debate the assault.
Iran’s mission to the UN mentioned on social media platform X that the assault was in response to Israel’s suspected strike on the Iranian consular constructing in Damascus on April 1. It mentioned “the matter will be deemed concluded”. But it surely added that ought to Israel “make one other mistake, Iran’s response can be significantly extra extreme” and warned the US to “keep away”.
UN secretary-general António Guterres urged all events to point out restraint, saying he was “deeply alarmed in regards to the very actual hazard of a devastating region-wide escalation”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed “dozens” of missiles and drones had been launched in opposition to Israel. Iran’s international ministry mentioned later that the assault had been focused at Israeli “army bases” and had been carried out in defence of Iran’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Tasnim information company, which is affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards, described the assault as a “multi-layered assault from 4 instructions”, deploying “a whole lot of drones and numerous missiles of various varieties”.
It mentioned Lebanese militant group Hizbollah, Iraqi militants and Houthi rebels in Yemen had participated within the assaults in opposition to Israel. Hizbollah mentioned it had launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli barracks within the Golan Heights.
The Israeli paramedic service mentioned a 10-year-old Bedouin lady had been critically wounded within the nation’s south.
Hagari mentioned minor injury had been achieved to the Nevatim air base, additionally within the south, however that it was nonetheless functioning.
Israel’s suspected strike on the consulate in Damascus was a big escalation of the hostilities which have engulfed the Center East for the reason that conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted in October.
Prior to now six months Israeli forces have traded near-daily fireplace with Hizbollah in Lebanon, whereas different Iranian proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have additionally fired missiles and drones at Israel.
However till now, Iran and Israel have averted a direct confrontation. Regardless of their lengthy historical past of enmity, the 2 international locations have by no means exchanged fireplace utilizing strikes launched from their very own soil.
Solely as soon as earlier than — in 2018 — did Iranian forces based mostly in Syria fireplace on Israel immediately.
The Iranian assault “places the area on the precipice of a broader regional conflict that nearly nobody appears to truly need,” mentioned Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Atlantic council’s Scowcroft Center East Safety Initiative.
Iran’s first direct assault on Israel “shatters the earlier battle threshold” of their lengthy working conflict, he mentioned. “What is obvious is that that is the start of a brand new period, one by which Iran is keen to reply on to Israeli assaults and in doing so danger retaliation in opposition to the Iranian homeland.”
Iran’s management had vowed to precise revenge after the strike on the consulate in Damascus, which Iranian officers mentioned they thought of “sovereign territory”. The strike claimed the lives of a senior Iranian common and 6 different army officers.
In current days, Israel has been bracing for the response. Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli army introduced limits on public gatherings and shuttered colleges for the following two days.
In a recorded assertion on Saturday, earlier than he convened the conflict cupboard, Netanyahu mentioned he appreciated the US “standing by Israel’s aspect”, and the help of the UK, France and different international locations.
The long-serving premier additionally issued a direct menace to Iran. “I established a transparent precept — whoever hurts us, we harm him. We are going to shield ourselves from any menace and we’ll accomplish that with composure and dedication,” he mentioned.
Extra reporting by Lauren Fedor in Dallas
