Iran launched a missile and drone attack on Israel late Saturday. “The regime in Iran sent a massive swarm of over 200 killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles,” stated Israel’s Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. US, UK, and Jordanian forces intercepted Iranian drones. US President Joe Biden has vowed “ironclad” support for Israel against Iranian attacks. Taking to X, Biden stated: “I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.”
Why Iran Attacked Israel?
Tensions between Iran and Israel escalated amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict. Iran has been backing Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, who have launched multiple strikes against Israel.
Iran has now launched a direct assault following its allegation that Israel was responsible for the recent deaths of its generals in the Damascus embassy. A senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force was among those killed in an airstrike on April 1 during a meeting at the embassy compound.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed retaliation, accusing Israel of killing an Iranian official. Khamenei stated that Israel “must be punished and shall be” for what he deemed an assault akin to an attack on Iranian territory.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its role in the incident.
Today, Iran declared that the strike served as retribution for “Israeli crimes”.
“Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, warning the United States to “stay away” from the conflict.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is scheduled to convene an urgent meeting on Sunday in response to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile strike on Israel.
Numerous nations have denounced Iran’s assault on Israel, with countries such as Britain and France affirming their commitment to Israel’s security.