Iran Launches Missile, Drone Attacks on Israel
Iran has launched a significant attack of drone and missile strikes on Israel, the White House and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday, widening fears of a regional war in the Middle East.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that it launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel, according to a statement shared by state-run Iranian media outlet Press TV.
IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the “direct attack” from Iran is a “severe and dangerous escalation.”
“Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran,” he said in a video address. “This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill.”
A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Biden was being regularly updated on the unfolding situation and would meet with his national security team at the White House.
NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the attack by Iran, which had been expected for days, “is likely to unfold over a number of hours.”
“President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran,” Watson said in a statement.
Israel is on high alert and forces are “constantly monitoring” the situation, the IDF said, adding that the air defenses are also on alert.
Fighter jets and naval vessels are also on a defense mission around Israel, the IDF said.
Iran was expected to strike Israel after an alleged Israeli strike earlier this month hit near the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing two senior officers in Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The slain IRGC officers were the highest-profile deaths since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, and the biggest blow to Tehran since the U.S. drone strike in 2020 that killed Qasem Soleimani in Iraq. Their deaths led to a public outcry in Iran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had repeatedly threatened Israel following the Damascus strike, saying the country would be “slapped” for their actions. He said a strike on an embassy is tantamount to striking a country’s soil.
The Hill
