Iran's First Retaliatory Attack on Israeli Mainland... US Biden: "Security Commitment Unbreakable"

Iran Launches Hundreds of Drones Toward Israel
US Supports Defense by Shooting Down Iranian Drones
Israel "Strong Response to Iranian Attack"

On the night of the 13th (local time), Iran launched a sudden airstrike against Israel, firing hundreds of armed drones and missiles. This late-night airstrike over the weekend marks Iran's first full-scale attack on Israeli mainland territory. It comes just 12 days after Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on the 1st, eliminating a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The United States, anticipating Iran's attack on Israel, mobilized military forces including fighter jets to support Israel's defense.

According to local authorities and foreign media reports, the Israeli military stated that Iran launched more than 100 bomb-laden drones toward Israel that day.

On the 1st (local time), local protesters in Tehran, Iran, held a demonstration shouting anti-Israel slogans. On the same day, the Israeli military struck the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria, with missiles, killing several people including senior officials of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesperson for the Israeli military, first announced the start of Iran's airstrike around 11 p.m. that day. The Israeli military stated, "Iran fired drones toward Israel from its own territory," adding, "Israeli fighter jets and naval vessels are on alert."

U.S. NBC News, citing Biden administration officials, reported that Iran appears to have launched between 400 and 500 drones.

AP News and Al Jazeera noted that this is the first full-scale attack on Israel since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran following the 1979 revolution.

Iran's retaliation seems to follow the Islamic law principle of Qisas (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth). Iran named this attack the "Operation Promise of Truth" to punish Israel's crimes. Mohammad Reza Garaeishi Ashtiani, Iran's Minister of Defense, said, according to Iran's state-run Press TV, "Any country that opens its territory or airspace to Israel for attacks against Iran will face our resolute response."

Major foreign media reported that around 2 a.m. local time, sirens and explosions were heard throughout Israel, including Jerusalem. Hezbollah, based in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, reportedly fired dozens of missiles at Israeli air defense positions deployed in the Golan Heights in coordination with Iran's airstrike, according to Sputnik News Agency. The Yemeni Houthi rebels also launched several drones toward Israel, the British maritime security firm Ambrey reported.

U.S. President Joe Biden is speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on the 4th (local time). On this day, President Biden urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to implement an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians. 2024.04.05 [Image source=Yonhap News]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency wartime cabinet meeting to respond, the Prime Minister's Office announced. Israeli aviation authorities announced that in response to the airstrike, Israeli airspace would be closed from 12:30 a.m. on the 14th local time. In the airspace of neighboring countries Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, U.S. and British fighter jets reportedly shot down some of the drones launched by Iran. Jordan and Iraq closed their airspace, and Egypt also heightened its air defense alert status.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and others also moved to support Israel's defense. U.S. President Joe Biden convened a National Security Council meeting at the White House in the afternoon to discuss response measures. While focusing on the urgent defense of Israel, President Biden is expected to seek ways to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from escalating into a larger war due to Iran's attack.

After the meeting, President Biden posted on X (formerly Twitter), "I just met with the national security team to get an update on Iran's attack on Israel," adding, "Our commitment to protect Israel's security from threats posed by Iran and its proxies is ironclad."

Earlier that day, President Joe Biden rushed back to the White House from his Delaware residence immediately after news broke that Iran had seized a container cargo ship related to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz.

This retaliation is in line with Iran's prior warning following the strike on its consulate in Syria, but some analysts suggest that Iran may have fine-tuned the scale of the attack considering potential repercussions. A senior U.S. official told NBC that Iran's attack appeared to target government facilities rather than civilian or religious sites, and that U.S. military facilities in the Middle East were not included as targets. ABC News also reported, citing Israeli military sources, that Iran targeted only Israeli military facilities.

With Israel having warned of a counterattack if Iran's retaliation materializes, the actual level of Israel's response will likely be a key factor in determining whether the conflict escalates further.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.