Israel came under direct attack from Iran on Saturday, as announced by the army, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing covert conflict between the two regional adversaries. This development threatened to overshadow the conflict in Gaza.
Iran had previously issued several threats to retaliate against Israel for a deadly air strike on its Damascus consular building on April 1. In recent days, Washington had repeatedly cautioned that these reprisals were imminent.
“Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
“We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them,” he said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards affirmed that a retaliatory drone strike against Israel was in progress, with state media reporting the launch of both “drones and missiles.” The White House anticipated the Iranian drone attack to unfold gradually over several hours, pledging support to Israel amidst the Iranian aggression. Following this, the army statement was issued shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s acknowledgment that Israel was ready for a direct assault from Iran.
“Our defence systems are deployed, we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and attack,” the Israeli premier said in a televised statement, adding Israel had the backing of the United States and “many” other countries.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had seized an Israeli-affiliated container vessel in the Gulf earlier that Saturday, prompting heightened alert across the entire region. Israel announced the nationwide closure of schools, while Jordan and Iraq, situated between Iran and Israel, declared temporary airspace closures. Israel itself scheduled the closure of its airspace from 2130 GMT. Following the vessel seizure, the Israeli military cautioned Iran about facing consequences for further escalating the situation. The April 1 airstrike in Damascus, attributed to Israel and resulting in 16 casualties, including two Iranian generals, had been widely condemned. Iran had vowed retaliation without specifying details.
According to Iranian state media, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commandeered a container ship with ties to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz, now en route to Iranian waters. The ship’s operator, the Italian-Swiss group MSC, assured cooperation with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the 25 crew members onboard. Both Israel and the United States condemned the seizure as piracy, with Israel urging the European Union to designate the Guards as a terrorist organization.
President Joe Biden curtailed a weekend trip to Delaware for urgent consultations in Washington, as confirmed by the White House. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz postponed his scheduled visit to Hungary and Austria, as announced by his spokesman. An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader remarked that Israel appeared to be in a state of “complete panic” in anticipation of Tehran’s forthcoming response.
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