According to Israeli officials Iran fired more than 300 missilesincluding 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles towards Israel, directly targeting the Jewish state for the first time. Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, described the attack as retaliation for the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed several Iranian officers. Iran blamed Israel.
Iran-backed militants in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen have also fired rockets, drones and missiles into Israel. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman, said 99 percent of the missiles were intercepted.
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At 7:30 a.m. local time, Israel reopened its airspace, which it had closed in anticipation of an Iranian attack. Hagari said the country was prepared to face additional threats and scenarios.
US President Joe Biden condemned this “unprecedented” attack and announced that will bring together other G7 leaders on Sunday “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” At Israel’s request, the UN Security Council also convened an extraordinary meeting.
The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, described the attack as a “multi-level attack from four directions” using “hundreds of drones and a large number of missiles of different types.” It was added that Hezbollah, Iraqi fighters and Houthi rebels in Yemen took part in the attack, writes the Financial Times.
After the attack, the Iranian mission to the UN declared on the X platform that “the case can be considered closed.” However, she added thatIf Israel “makes another mistake, Iran’s response will be much harsher” and warned the United States to “stay away.”
Iran said it launched the bombings in response to Israel’s alleged attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1. “FT” writes about a significant escalation of hostilities gripping the Middle East since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel in October.
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Over the past six months, Israeli forces have exchanged fire almost daily with Hezbollah in Lebanon, while other Iranian proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have also fired missiles and drones into Israel. But so far, Iran and Israel have avoided direct confrontation.
Despite a long history of hostility, the two countries have never exchanged fire or attacks from their national territory. Only once – in 2018 – have Iranian forces stationed in Syria fired directly at Israel. Iranian officials said the bombings were carried out to defend Iran’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” and that the attack, which included “dozens” of missiles and drones, targeted Israeli military bases.
