Iran launches drones attack at Israel
Iran has launched an attack against Israel with dozens of drones, according to the Axios news site.
Drones are assessed to take several hours to cover such a distance.
Iran has threatened to attack Israel over the killing of seven Revolutionary Guard members, including two Generals and six Syrians in Damascus, the Syrian Capital last week
Israel has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in recent years on targets in Syria that it says are linked to Iran but has not claimed the Damascus strike
President Biden has promised what he called “ironclad” support for Israel, saying the US will “do all we can to protect Israel’s security”
Iran had avoided direct confrontation with Israel during the Israel-Hamas conflict, but the Damascus attack was seen as a serious escalation.
Before this Iranian attack, the country’s leader accused Israel of attacking their consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus on 1 April, describing the strike as being equivalent to an attack on Iran itself.
“When they attacked our consulate area, it was like they attacked our territory,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech on Wednesday.
“The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed in a statement that drones had been launched from Iran towards Israel.
The IDF statement said, “A short while ago, Iran launched UAVs from within its territory toward Israel. The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation.
“The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space. The IDF is monitoring all targets.
” We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter.”
In an address to the nation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military is “ready for any scenario”.
“Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran,” he says.
“Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.”
He also thanked their allies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, for “standing alongside” Israel
Netanyahu adds: “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.”
He called on Israeli citizens to follow the directives of the IDF Home Front Command, adding: “Together we will stand and with God’s help together we will overcome all of our enemies.”
