Iran launches a major escalation of air strikes on Israel

Iran has fired dozens of aerial drones and missiles at Israel, marking a highly anticipated retaliatory attack.

It is the first such direct clash between the two enemies, who have been locked in a shadow war for years in which Iran uses proxy forces.

The Israeli military said Israel and other countries intercepted hundreds of cruise missiles and drones, most of them outside Israeli airspace.

US President Joe Biden said: “We helped Israel destroy almost everyone.”

“Iran and its proxies operating from Yemen, Syria and Iraq launched an unprecedented airstrike on military facilities in Israel,” he said, expressing strong condemnation.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack was aimed at “specific targets.”

Iran had vowed to retaliate for an attack on its consulate in Syria on April 1 that killed seven IRGC officers, including a top commander. It accused Israel of carrying out this attack, but Israel neither confirmed nor denied it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a war cabinet meeting after the Iranian attack began and later spoke with President Biden, who said he reaffirmed “America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said some Iranian missiles struck Israel, causing minor damage to a military base but causing no casualties.

Israeli emergency services said a seven-year-old Bedouin girl was injured by splinters from falling debris in the southern Arad region.

“Iran’s large-scale attack this evening represents a major escalation,” Hagari said. “Together with our allies and partners, we are fully committed to the defense of the State of Israel and the Israeli people.”

In a separate briefing, he said Iran fired more than 300 projectiles into Israel overnight, 99% of which were shot down. He added that some of the launches came from Iraq and Yemen.

Two U.S. officials told CBS, the BBC’s U.S. affiliate, that American forces had shot down several drones, but did not say where or how they were intercepted.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said RAF fighter jets had been deployed to Iraq and Syria to intercept “any air attacks within the range of our existing missions.”

Sirens wailed across Israel, loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem, and air defense systems shot down objects over the city.

Israel, Lebanon and Iraq have closed their airspace, and Syria and Jordan have put their air defenses on alert.

Iran’s IRGC – the most powerful part of its armed forces – said it launched the attack “in retaliation for the Zionist regime’s (Israel’s) repeated crimes, including the attack on the Iranian Embassy’s consulate in Damascus.”

Shortly before news of the Iranian missile launches broke, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel’s “defense systems” had been deployed.

“We are prepared for every scenario, both defensively and offensively. The state of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.”

“We appreciate the support of the United States alongside Israel, as well as the support of the United Kingdom, France and many other countries.”

President Biden cut short a trip to Delaware to return to the White House as tensions rose Saturday.

After later speaking to Mr Netanyahu, he said: “Tomorrow I will convene my G7 colleagues to coordinate a joint diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran’s “ruthless” attack and vowed that Britain would “continue to stand up for the security of Israel and all our regional partners.”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement saying he “strongly condemns the serious escalation that Iran’s large-scale attack on Israel represents.”

He called for an “immediate cessation of these hostilities” and called on all sides to exercise the greatest possible restraint.

“Neither the region nor the world can afford another war,” he warned.

The UN Security Council will meet on Sunday for an emergency meeting over Iran’s attack on Israel, its President Vanessa Frazier said.

Earlier this week, Israel’s defense and foreign ministers warned that Israel would strike back at Iran if Iran attacked Israel.

Additional reporting: Laurence Peter and Emily Atkinson