Iran made good on its threat and attacked Israel. Tehran had announced that Israel would be punished over the deaths of two brigadier generals. There is a threat of conflagration in the Middle East.
Tel Aviv - Iran has directly attacked Israel for the first time. Despite international warnings, Iran sent drones and missiles. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed the start of the attack on Saturday. It will take several hours for the drones to reach Israeli territory. It was initially unclear whether Israel would respond with a counterattack on Iran.
Military tensions in the Middle East escalated after a suspected Israeli airstrike on April 1 on an Iranian embassy building in Syria's capital Damascus left several people dead. They included two brigadier generals and five other members of the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Iran launches attack
According to state media, Iran's Revolutionary Guards also launched ballistic missiles in their massive retaliatory attack on Israel. It was not clear from the report by the Irna news agency on Sunday night (local time) which types of rockets were involved. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has several types of medium-range missiles that can reach Israel.
Ballistic missiles have rocket engines and are used for rapid, long-range attacks. They differ from cruise missiles, which can fly at lower altitudes and are controlled continuously.
The Revolutionary Guards said they also launched dozens of drones towards Israel. The operation, called “Sincere Promise,” was in retaliation for the killing of high-ranking officers in Syria. On April 1, two brigadier generals were killed in a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus.
Iran's defense minister warns of counterattacks
The Iranian defense minister has warned of counterattacks on his country after the start of retaliatory strikes against Israel. Any state that attacks Iran will receive a “decisive response,” said General Mohammed-Reza Ashtiani, according to the state news agency Irna on Sunday night.
Iran has also portrayed the attack on Israel as an appropriate response to the attack on its embassy in Syria. “The matter can be considered closed. However, if the Israeli regime makes another mistake, Iran's reaction will be much harsher," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said on Platform X in New York on Saturday (local time). The USA, in turn, must stay out of the conflict, the message emphasized.
Hezbollah fires rockets from Lebanon towards Israel
The Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah says it has fired rockets into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israeli barracks in the area were targeted with Katyusha-type rockets late on Saturday evening, the spleen said.
Netanyahu addresses citizens of Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the citizens of his country shortly before the attack. “The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. “We appreciate the US standing with Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries,” he said. “We have a clear principle: whoever harms us, we harm them too,” he warned. “Together we will stand and with God’s help defeat all our enemies,” Netanyahu added.
Defense Minister Joav Galant has repeatedly emphasized that such an attack would not go unanswered. “A direct Iranian attack will require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran,” Galant warned last Friday.
In view of the Iranian attack on Israel, residents of the occupied Golan Heights were asked to stay near shelters on Sunday night. Israeli television reported that residents of Eilat, Dimona and Nevatim in the Negev Desert had also received similar instructions. The New York Times, citing Israeli representatives, reported that it was expected that the Golan Heights and an Israeli air force base in the Negev Desert could become targets of Iranian attacks. Dozens of Israeli fighter jets are in the air to intercept missiles from Iran.
US confirms attack
The USA also confirmed the Iranian attack. US President Joe Biden will be continuously informed about the situation and will meet with his security team in the White House on Saturday afternoon (local time), said a spokeswoman for the National Security Council. The attack will “likely last several hours.”
For the emergency meeting, Biden shortened his stay in Rehoboth Beach in the US state of Delaware, where he actually wanted to spend the weekend - and flew back to Washington earlier than planned. According to the information, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Chief of Staff Charles Brown and CIA Director William Burns also wanted to take part in the deliberations. Biden had promised Israel the full support of the USA. On Saturday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin renewed that assurance.
Israel raises alert
The Israeli military is on high alert and monitoring the situation, the army said in a statement sent via Telegram. The air defense system is on standby, as are fighter jets and naval ships. Spokesman Hagari emphasized that the army is monitoring the situation and that all defense systems are ready. In addition, GPS reception is suppressed in various parts of the country. Because of the drone attack, Israel also announced that it would close its airspace from Sunday 00:30 local time (Saturday 23:30 CEST), as Israeli media reported, citing the aviation authority.
The attack could have been a swarm of so-called Shahed 136 kamikaze drones, which Russia also uses in the fight against Ukraine. The domestically produced drones have a range of around 2,500 kilometers and can therefore reach targets in Israel.
In view of the tense security situation shortly before the attack, Israel had further increased the alert: The army issued new protection instructions for the civilian population, which were initially to apply from Saturday evening to Monday evening. dpa