Iran has initiated an unprecedented attack on Israel, launching hundreds of drones and missiles in retaliation to an Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks ago.
The overnight escalation occurred amid Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of over 33,000 Palestinians and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory. Tensions have further heightened in the region, extending to confrontations with Lebanon and Syria, and prompting long-range attacks on Israeli targets from as far as Yemen and Iraq.
According to the Israeli military, the Iranian onslaught included more than 300 “killer drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles,” with 99 percent intercepted with assistance from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The launches, originating from Iran, Iraq, and Yemen, triggered air raid sirens across Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, with the sound of explosions echoing as air defenses thwarted incoming projectiles.
Medics said a girl in southern Israel was wounded by shrapnel from an intercepted drone, while the military said “a small number of hits were identified, including at [an Israeli military] base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure”.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the attack, stating that it launched the drones and missiles as part of Operation True Promise in retaliation for what they termed “the Zionist entity’s crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Syria” on April.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the attack, stating it launched the drones and missiles under Operation True Promise in retaliation for what they termed “the Zionist entity’s crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Syria” on April 1. The raid in Damascus resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals, including two senior generals in the IRGC’s elite Quds Force.
Following the missile and drone attack, Iran’s mission to the United Nations declared the matter “concluded” and issued a warning to Israel of a “considerably more severe” response should the “Israeli regime make another mistake.” Additionally, it cautioned the US to refrain from involvement in the conflict.
Concerns regarding a broader escalation arose. Prior to the Iranian attack, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon announced temporary closures of their airspace. Syria also heightened alert levels around Damascus and major bases, deploying Russian-made Pantsir ground-to-air defense systems, according to Reuters.
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian armed forces seized a container ship linked to Israel near the Strait of Hormuz.
Western nations, including the US, the UK, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Norway, condemned Iran’s missile and drone assault. Egypt and Saudi Arabia called for restraint, while the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency session to address the issue at Israel’s request.
US President Joe Biden shortened a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house to convene with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon. He also held a discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security.
Biden stated he informed Netanyahu that “Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks,” sending a clear message to adversaries that they cannot effectively threaten Israel’s security.
Netanyahu, in a brief post, asserted Israel’s determination to achieve victory.
We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win,” he added.
The Pentagon meanwhile reported that defence chief Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats … and made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned Iran’s attack, saying he was “deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation”.
Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said on the Telegram social media app that in addition to a letter from Israel, the UNSC had received one from Iran asserting its attack was within the UN Charter framework governing the right to self-defence.
“The latter warns that if Israel responds, Iran will respond in a more powerful and decisive manner,” Polyanskiy said.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all parties to “exercise calm and restraint”, describing the situation as the “latest spillover of the Gaza conflict”. It said it was deeply concerned by the escalation and said Israel’s war on Gaza “must end now”.
Analysts described Iran’s attack on Israel as carefully calibrated to prevent further escalation.
“What the Iranians are trying to do is to come up with a measured, calculated attack in order to regain deterrence and not to be seen as weak in front of their own proxies,” said Hassan Barari, professor of international relations at the University of Qatar.
However, he expressed worry that the attack could worsen the situation in Gaza.
“I know some right-wing politicians in the government will see this as an opportunity because the world’s attention has shifted onto Iran-Israel and then they can do something probably horrendous in Gaza,” he said.