Iran launches missiles and kamikaze drones at Israel
♦ RAF and US jets shoot down UAVs as allies rally to repel multi-pronged attack ♦ Netanyahu vows to strike back, saying: ‘Whoever hurts us, we will hurt them’ ♦ Rishi Sunak condemns ‘reckless’ attack and promises UK will stand with Israel
IRAN last night launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, unleashing a barrage of missiles, rockets and drones from both its own territory and its proxies across the Middle East.
US and British forces reportedly intercepted more than 100 drones after hundreds were launched from Iran in a long-awaited attack after weeks of threats from Tehran.
Iranian state television said ballistic missiles had also been launched in a joint assault designed to overwhelm Israeli air defences “deep in the occupied territories”.
Drones and rockets were also launched by Iranian proxy groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. The Israeli army said it sounded sirens in a kibbutz near the Lebanon border.
Fighter jets were scrambled as the drones launched were seen flying low as they passed over Iraq, in an apparent attempt to avoid radar detection.
A loud buzzing noise could be heard on videos posted on social media as they passed overhead.
“We are closely monitoring Iranian killer drones that are en route to Israel sent by Iran,” Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, said in a televised statement.
“This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran.”
He added: “We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them.”
Mr Hagari confirmed missiles were fired from Iran: “A short while ago, Iran launched missiles from its territory toward the territory of the State of Israel.”
In a separate statement, the army said it was urging residents of the northern Golan Heights and the areas of Nevatim, Dimona, and Eilat to stay “near protective spaces”.
Israeli civilians have been advised to monitor government alerts and follow advice from the Home Front command. Schools across the country and beaches near Gaza have been closed “in light of the security situation,” Mr Hagari said.
The Israeli military has already begun planning for a retaliatory strike on Iran or its proxy groups in the region.
Mr Netanyahu convened his war cabinet, while Joe Biden returned to the White House from Delaware to be briefed on the situation by his national security team.
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, condemned the “reckless” attack and said that the UK would “stand up for Israel’s security”. He said: “These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.”
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the UK has moved several additional RAF jets to the Middle East which can intercept airborne attacks.
There were reports the UK had joined the defence of Israel with fighter jets from Cyprus. GPS data showed two RAF transport aircraft in the region shortly after the attack was first reported.
Israeli forces were joined by warships, jets and air defence systems from the US and Jordan.
Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said: “Our defence systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defence and offence.
“The state of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, the public is strong. We appreciate the US for standing by Israel’s side as well as the support of the UK, France and many other countries. I established a clear principle – whoever hurts us, we will hurt them. We will defend ourselves from any threat and we will do so calmly and with determination.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said: “In response to the recent crime of the Zionist regime against the Iranian consulate in Syria, the IRGC air forces have successfully fired tens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories.”
Iran’s permanent mission to the UN defended the attack as lawful “legitimate defence” and warned the US not to enter the conflict.
“Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,” said a spokesman. “The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US must stay away!”
Iranian state television broadcast images of crowds gathered across Iran, celebrating the attack and chanting “Death to Israel.”
Long lines formed at petrol stations in Tehran as Iranians anticipated the Israeli response.
Airspace was closed over Israel, Iraq and Jordan after the attack was first reported, while schools in Israel have been told not to open today.
Channel 12, an Israeli news network, reported the US had been the first to warn Israel the attack was incoming. A White House spokesman said the attack was “likely to unfold over a number of hours”, adding: “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran.”
Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, said “further escalation” was “in no one’s interest and risks further loss of civilian life”.
The attack was first considered “imminent” by US intelligence on Wednesday, after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel “must be punished” for a strike on an Iranian consulate compound in Damascus on April 1.
US AND British warplanes were reported to have downed some Israel-bound Iranian drones late last night, as Israel’s allies rallied to help it defend itself from an unprecedented multi-pronged attack from Tehran.
The White House said the “airborne attack” against Israel was likely to “unfold over a number of hours” and reiterated its “ironclad support” for the Jewish state’s security. Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his Delaware beach home to return and convene a meeting of his top national security team last night.
Britain has also rallied to Israel’s side, with Rishi Sunak condemning the “reckless” action in the “strongest terms”. The Prime Minister said that the strikes risked “destabilising” the Middle East and that the UK would work with its allies to “prevent further escalation”.
Last night it was reported that British fighter jets took off from Cyprus in order to intercept drones and missiles launched from Iran towards Israel. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that US and UK fighter jets have shot down Iranian drones near the Syria-Iraq border. When asked about missile strikes, the Ministry of Defence did not comment.
When the UK launched a series of air strikes against the rebel Houthi group earlier this year, Britain used its Akrotiri base in Cyprus to launch four Typhoon combat planes.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, said Iran launched over 100 drones directly from within its territory, in an apparent effort to overwhelm Israel’s air defences. It set up a direct military confrontation between the regional foes in a major escalation that raised the risks of a wider war. “We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them,” he said in a televised statement.
Channel 12, an Israeli news network, reported that the US had been the first to warn Israel the attack was incoming.
The network also reported that American and British warplanes downed some of the Iranian drones over the Iraq-Syria border area, without citing its sources.
Iraq, which is on the flight path between Iran and Israel, closed its airspace in anticipation of the attack.
Jordan’s air defences were last night bracing to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace, two regional security sources told Reuters. They said the army was also in a state of high alert and radar systems were monitoring any drone activity coming from the direction of Iraq and Syria.
However, Jordan’s communications minister denied reports the Kingdom had closed down its airspace or declared a state of emergency.
Tensions are at their highest since the Israel-Hamas war began six months ago after a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force. Iran
‘We are urgently working to prevent further escalation No one wants to see bloodshed’
had promised to retaliate against Israel, and US and Israeli officials were on high alert for an attack as soon as this weekend, raising concerns about the conflict escalating into a wider regional war.
Washington feared an attack could be imminent and rushed warships into position on Friday, including moving the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and three other warships closer to Israel in the northern Red Sea.
Multiple RAF transport aircraft were over the eastern Mediterranean shortly after the attack was first reported.
RAF A400 took off from Brize Norton at 4.53 UK time and headed for Syria before GPS dropped. Voyager heading for Turkey from RAF Akrotiri. Adrienne Watson, the spokesman for the White House national security council, said Mr Biden was being “regularly updated by his national security team” which was “in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies”. “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran,” she said.
In a statement released last night, Mr Sunak said: “The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq. Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.” Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency claimed the multi-pronged attack involved rockets, ballistic missiles and drones fired at Israel from Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Yemen. Israeli and allied forces were expected to attempt to intercept them before they arrived.
Israel’s “iron dome” missile defence system has shown itself capable of defending the country against small volleys of incoming fire, but analysts warned it could potentially be overwhelmed by a massive missile barrage.
The drones launched from Iran were seen flying low as they passed over Iraq, with social media awash with clips of the weapons making a loud buzzing noise. Israel and its neighbours’ decision to shut down their airspace in anticipation has left British travellers facing disruption. Flight times are expected to be longer as airlines avoid Iranian airspace and airfares are also expected to increase.
Israel EL Al Airlines was reported to have cancelled 15 flights scheduled for yesterday and today and Austrian Airlines was also reported to have cancelled all its flights to Iran until April 18. United Airlines said it had cancelled its service to Tel Aviv. A United spokesman said: “We are closely monitoring the situation and will make decisions on upcoming flights with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews.”
A Lufthansa spokesman, on behalf of the firm including its subsidiary Austrian Airlines, said: “We have temporarily stopped overflying Iranian airspace till April 18. Security is our number one priority.” Qantas had already paused its non-stop flights from Perth to London in a bid to avoid Iranian airspace due to fears of the impending attack on Israel.
The route has now been changed and has a stop in Singapore in place due to the situation. A Qantas spokesman said: “We’ll reach out to customers directly if there’s any change to their booking.”
The UK along with the US were among the countries issuing a travel warning to those looking to travel to the region, along with France, Canada and Australia.