The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran recently announced that they have conducted a significant military operation against Israel by launching drones and missiles.
This act has the potential to increase tensions between the two countries, with the United States declaring its support for Israel.
Israel’s military has reported that drones originating from Iran were spotted over Iraq, and it was estimated that it would take hours for them to reach their target.
However, Israeli sources indicated that some missiles and drones were intercepted over Syria and Jordan.
This event marks the first time Iran has launched a large-scale military attack on Israel, despite their longstanding conflict since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
A retired Israeli general mentioned that the drones used in the attack were equipped with 20kg (44 pounds) of explosives each.
The National Security Council spokeswoman, Adrienne Watson, stated that US President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates from his national security team and is maintaining constant communication with Israeli officials, as well as US partners and allies.
Following a warning from Biden to Iran to not attack Israel, the White House confirmed that he stands in solidarity with Israel against Iran.
The Israeli army has described the Iranian drone attack as a significant and dangerous escalation, noting that they are closely monitoring the situation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a war cabinet meeting at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned the attack as reckless and pledged to uphold Israel’s security.
“Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed,” Sunak said in a statement.
Iran has vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Revolutionary Guards officers including two senior commanders.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack. Israel’s military said sirens would sound in any threatened areas and that its defences were poised to deal with them.
Israel, Jordan and Lebanon said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night.
