Iran launches drone and rocket attacks on Israel for the first time. Israeli military is on high alert and monitoring the situation.
US President Joe Biden will meet with his security team in the White House on Saturday afternoon. Israel also announced that it would close its airspace from Sunday 0030 local time (23:30 CEST) The attack could have been a swarm of so-called Shahed 136 drones, which Russia also uses in the fight against Ukraine. The drones have a range of around 2,500 kilometers and can reach targets in Israel. Iran's defense minister has warned of counterattacks on his country after the start of retaliatory strikes against Israel. The attack will “likely last several hours,” said a spokeswoman for the National Security Council. The USA also confirmed the Iranian attack and has promised Israel the full support of the USA. “We appreciate the US standing with Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries,’ said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.