- Iran launched an airborne attack on Israel on Saturday.
- The White House acknowledged that an attack was underway and emphasized U.S. support for Israel.
- Iran threatened to retaliate for earlier attacks by Israel on Iranian military targets in Syria.
Iran has launched airstrikes against Israel, the White House confirmed on Saturday.
Iranian state television confirmed in a caption that the attack took the form of a “large-scale drone operation,” Radio Free Europe reporter Kian Sharifi noted in an article. Post to X. According to a Times of Israel reporter, an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson suggested that dozens of drones were launched from Iran. Emmanuel Fabian.
The attack comes after months of heightened tensions in the region, where the two countries have exchanged attacks for years as part of a long-simmering conflict between the adversaries. Iran threatened to retaliate after Israel reportedly attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, killing several senior Iranian military officials.
Business Insider's Jake Epstein reported that the April attack was significant because it appears to be the first time Israel has targeted senior officials at an Iranian government facility.
“I don't think either Israel or Iran wants this to escalate into a full-scale war. That's my assessment,” Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan Nahoum told Business Insider, adding that dozens of unmanned aircraft He confirmed that the plane was fired at Israel.
Hassan Nahum added: “But if this fails, it could turn into a world war. So I hope they haven't done too much damage and we can protect ourselves.” “We can do this and make sure no one gets hurt,” he added. However, if many Israelis were actually injured or killed, this would undoubtedly escalate into a much larger situation. ”
He said that in response to the drone launch, Israel had closed its airspace for a total of seven hours starting at 12:30 a.m. local time, during which time Israelis were being told to shelter in place. Hassan Nahoum said he expected continued U.S. assistance to Israel in response to the attack, and the White House confirmed Israel's readiness to provide it in a statement.
“President Biden is regularly briefed by his national security team and will meet with them at the White House this afternoon,” NSC spokesperson Adrian Watson said in a statement. “His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials and other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over several hours. President Biden has made clear our commitment to Israel's security. Our support is resolute. The United States stands by 'supporting the Israeli people and helping them defend against the Iranian threat.' ”
According to information released in October, the United States has provided approximately $130 billion in military and economic aid to Israel since its founding in 1948. State Department.
Since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, U.S. military assistance to the country has gradually increased. But some lawmakers have criticized Israel's scorched-earth response to the attack, which killed at least 31,184 Palestinians and injured 72,889 others, according to figures reported in March by the United Nations. Enthusiasm to continue providing support is waning.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
