Middle East / Israel intercepts Iranian attack – Global concern for the next day

An attack with more than 200 “drones and missiles” against Israel was launched on Saturday night by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in coordination with the Houthis and Hezbollah. Immediately, all countries in the Middle East were put on alert.

About an hour after the operation was announced, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported that a “first wave of ballistic missiles” had been launched, targeting targets “deep inside the occupied territories” of Israel.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in his address to the citizens that Israel is ready for an attack from Iran and that it will respond in kind. “Our defense systems have been developed and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and attack. The state of Israel is strong, the IDF (Israeli armed forces) is strong. We appreciate the US standing by Israel, as well as the support of the UK, France and many other countries. Whoever hurts us, we will hurt him too. We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and decisively,” he stressed.

Sirens sounded in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities, with the night sky filled with flames from the interceptions. The people of Israel were ordered to rush to shelters.

Fighters from the USA, Britain and Jordan contributed to the interception, outside of Israeli airspace.

As the IDF spokesman announced, Iran launched more than 200 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, the vast majority of which were intercepted.

The Iranian strikes caused minor damage to an Israeli military base, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Hagari said. Regarding the injured from the attack, he emphasized that only “one little girl was injured”, without giving more information.

The vast majority of the missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside the borders of the State of Israel:

A short time ago, dozens of launches of surface-to-surface missiles were detected that made their way from Iran to the country’s territory.
The air defense fighters successfully intercepted using the “Arrow” system and, together with the strategic partner countries, most of the launches before they crossed the territory of the country.
Identified… pic.twitter.com/onGoojHrD3

— IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) April 14, 2024

During the attack in the early hours of Sunday morning, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said: “If the Israeli regime makes another mistake, Iran’s response will be more severe,” warning Israel and the US to “stay away.” . He also said that Iran now “considers the issue over”.

Iran had vowed retaliation for the attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 that killed seven Revolutionary Guards. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.

Shortly after 3:30, the Israeli military said it was no longer advising any residents to rush to shelters, revising an earlier alert.

Israel’s Channel 12 cited an Israeli official as saying there would be a “significant response” to the attack, while it was reported that members of the Israeli cabinet had authorized Netanyahu, Gallad and Gantz to make decisions on responding to Iran’s attack.

Shortly after 04:30, Netanyahu had a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently speaking with US President Joe Biden, following the deliberations of the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/v2oJqMSky4

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 14, 2024

They condemn the USA and Europe

The US, the European Union and Britain were quick to condemn the attack, calling it an “unprecedented escalation”.

“Our commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering,” President Biden said via X, posting a photo of an emergency meeting of his national security team at the White House.

I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. pic.twitter.com/kbywnsvmAx

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 13, 2024

“Along with our allies, we are working urgently to stabilize the situation and prevent escalation. No one wants to see another bloodbath,” Rishi Sunak pointed out.

“We strongly condemn the attack launched by Iran on Israel. Everything must be done to prevent further regional escalation. More bloodshed must be avoided. We will continue to closely monitor the situation with our partners,” said European Council President Charles Michel.

“The air strike that Iran launched tonight against Israeli soil is irresponsible and cannot be justified in any way,” Chancellor Olaf Solz said via X and warned that “Iran risks igniting.” “We stand by Israel and will now discuss further with our allies,” he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Iran’s attack and said he was “deeply concerned about the very real risk of a catastrophic escalation across the region”.

On Sunday, the UN Security Council is convened in an emergency.