Iranians wave Iranian flags and a Palestinian flag as they celebrate the IRGC drone and missile attack on Israel on April 14, 2024.
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Iran unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles on Israel on Saturday evening in response to a suspected Israeli attack that killed senior Iranian officials in Syria, sparking a deep escalation in tensions in the Middle East.
According to an update from Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel said it had identified 300 “threats of various kinds” and eliminated “99%” of those traveling on Israeli soil. He said a 10-year-old girl was “seriously injured by shrapnel” but reported no further casualties, adding that there had also been “several launches” towards Israel from Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.
Last night was the first direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory. Iran-backed factions – such as the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad – have engaged militarily with the Jewish state.
Earlier on Saturday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards hijacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz and claimed there was a connection to Israel.
Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said in comments carried by Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency that Tehran’s operation was now complete and no further action was required.
Israel and Iran have been on the verge of direct conflict since the start of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which took place in response to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. Iran vowed revenge after a suspected Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian military commanders. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, also called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and “demanded that they condemn Iran’s attack on Israel and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.”
The European Union has strongly condemned Tehran’s offensive: “The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack on Israel,” EU High Representative Josep Borrell said on social media late Saturday. “This is an unprecedented escalation and a serious threat to regional security.”
US President Joe Biden also condemned the Iranian attack on Saturday as “unprecedented” and convened G7 leaders to “coordinate a unified diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack,” a White House statement said .
“Although we have not experienced any attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant against all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect our people,” he added.
Relations between staunch allies Washington and Israel appeared to cool somewhat in recent weeks, with Biden warning that further support would depend on Israel taking steps to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in the Gaza enclave.
But the US intervened – along with Britain and France – according to the Israeli military – to mitigate the Iranian attack last night, and the attack could increase the urgency for the passage of a major $95 billion bill, including funding for Israel and Ukraine, which passed the Senate but stagnated Republican opposition in the US House of Representatives.
“In light of Iran’s unwarranted attack on Israel, the House of Representatives will diverge from its previously announced legislative plan next week and instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable,” said House Speaker Steve Scalise, on social media.
“Congress also needs to do its part. The national security amendment, which has been waiting months for action, will provide critical resources to Israel and our own forces in the region,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. “We cannot hope to avert conflict without showing resolve and seriously investing in American strength.”
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2024-04-14 08:56:00
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