On Saturday evening, Iran appeared to launch a barrage of dozens of drones towards Israel, CNN reported, citing an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson as well as U.S. and Israeli officials.
The IDF’s Daniel Hagari announced that Israel was tracking the drones, which he said could take hours to arrive over the country. GPS would not be available in certain areas, Hagari noted, and Israelis were warned to be “vigilant.”
On Saturday, hours before reports of the drone attack surfaced, U.S. President Joe Biden hurried back to Washington, DC from Delaware to “consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East,” the White House announced.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Axios and CNN analyst Barak Ravid, “Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House. His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack 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.”
Tehran has promised for days that it would seek to punish Israel for an attack against an Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus that killed a top Iranian commander and other Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officials earlier this month. Experts warn that Iran’s attack could be the spark that ignites another all-out war in the Middle East.
Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the Syria assassination, the Israeli military has been preparing for the Iranian counterstrike in recent days. Last week, the IDF canceled leave for soldiers in the combat unit and boosted air defenses.
Multiple reports had emerged earlier this week citing anonymous U.S. officials warning that an Iranian attack on Israel was “imminent.” A senior U.S. military commander had arrived in Israel on Thursday to help coordinate preparations for an attack. A day after the Pentagon official landed, the U.S. issued a security alert prohibiting embassy personnel from leaving the major regions of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva.
The dramatic escalation threatens to send the region into a tailspin. In advance of the attack, Israel had vowed to respond in kind. “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack in Iran,” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own warning in response to the threat. “Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” he said. “We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively.”
It was not immediately clear what Israel’s response would be to the drones.
U.S. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, had promised “ironclad” support for Israel in advance of the attack. “Our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We're gonna do all we can to protect Israel's security,” the president said.
This is a developing story.
Biden Rushes Back to White House as Iran Launches Drones at Israel
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13.04.2024
On Saturday evening, Iran appeared to launch a barrage of dozens of drones towards Israel, CNN reported, citing an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson as well as U.S. and Israeli officials.
The IDF’s Daniel Hagari announced that Israel was tracking the drones, which he said could take hours to arrive over the country. GPS would not be available in certain areas, Hagari noted, and Israelis were warned to be “vigilant.”
On Saturday, hours before reports of the drone attack surfaced, U.S. President Joe Biden hurried back to Washington, DC from Delaware to “consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East,” the White House announced.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Axios and CNN analyst Barak Ravid, “Iran has begun an........
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