Iran launched massive airstrikes on Israel

Iran has directly attacked Israel for the first time. Iran sent drones and missiles in defiance of international warnings. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed the attack had begun on Saturday. It takes several hours for the drones to reach the Israeli border. It was initially unclear whether Israel would retaliate against Iran.

The attack may have been a swarm of so-called Shahed 136 kamikaze drones, which Russia also uses in its war against Ukraine. The indigenously manufactured drones have a range of about 2,500 kilometers and can therefore reach Israel's targets.

Military tensions in the Middle East rose after an April 1 Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, killed several people. They included two brigadier generals and five members of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard.

“A wide range of drone strikes by the Revolutionary Guards against targets in the occupied country (Israel) began a few minutes ago,” subtitles on state television said shortly before midnight. Iran's Revolutionary Guards also reportedly fired rockets at Israel. Along with a massive drone strike, a statement from the Revolutionary Guards was read on television saying it was “a response to the most recent crimes of the Zionist regime”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his country's citizens shortly before the attack. “The country of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. “We appreciate the US standing with Israel and the support of the UK, France and many other countries,” he said. “We have a clear policy: whoever harms us, we harm them,” he warned. “We will stand firm together and, with God's help, we will defeat all our enemies,” Netanyahu added.

Defense Minister Jove Gallant has repeatedly stressed that such attacks will not go unanswered. “An Israeli response against Iran would be appropriate for a direct Iranian attack,” Galant warned last Friday.

The US has also confirmed the attack on Iran. US President Joe Biden will be kept informed of the situation and will meet with his security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon (local time), a spokesman for the National Security Council said. The attack “probably lasted several hours.”

For the emergency meeting, Biden cut short his stay at Rehoboth Beach in the US state of Delaware, where he had actually intended to spend the weekend – returning to Washington earlier than planned. According to information, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, US Chief of Staff Charles Brown and CIA Director William Burns also wanted to participate in the consultation. Biden pledged America's full support for Israel. On Saturday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin renewed that pledge.