Israel says it thwarted attack by Iran
Officials call for restraint after missile, drone strike
Israel’s military said Sunday that with help from the U.S. and other allies, it shot down more than 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran as part of retaliation for an Israeli missile strike that killed Iranian military commanders earlier this month in Syria.
“We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media ahead of a meeting of his wartime Cabinet on Sunday to discuss a response to the attack.
Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said in a Sunday briefing that 99% of the “threats launched toward Israeli territory were intercepted.” Hagari said that out of more than 120 ballistic missiles launched by Iran, a small number penetrated Israel’s border. The rest were shot down. He said an Israeli air force base in southern Israel sustained some “minor damage to infrastructure.” At least one child was injured.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. forces intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles and drones launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. “Our forces remain postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel’s defense, and enhance regional stability,” Austin said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sunday that British military jets also helped thwart Iran’s attack.
Israel and Iran have long been engaged in a so-called shadow war, with Iran using its proxies l militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels l to target Israel, which has undertaken targeted assassinations inside Iran. But the attack marked the first time that Iran directly targeted Israel from its own territory. It underscores how the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which began with the militants’ attacks on Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, 2023, risks spilling over into a broader regional conflict.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the military campaign was not over and “we must be prepared for every scenario,” while Cabinet minister Benny Gantz vowed Iran would pay, saying: “We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us.”
‘We don’t seek a war with Iran’
President Joe Biden said in a statement that he would meet virtually with G7 leaders Sunday to “coordinate a united diplomatic response” to Iran’s attack.
Speaking with Netanyahu late Saturday, Biden suggested further response was unnecessary, and senior U.S. officials told their counterparts that the U.S. would not participate in any Israeli counteroffensive against Iran, CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported.
John Kirby, the White House’s national security communications adviser, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the U.S. is not interested in going to battle with Iran. “The president’s been very clear: We don’t seek a war with Iran, we’re not looking for escalation here, we will continue to help Israel defend itself,” Kirby said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran had informed the U.S. that the Israel attack would be “limited” and for self-defense. He also told Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that the “retaliatory operation” against Israel had ended and Iran would not launch a new one unless it was attacked, according to Reuters.
Iran’s armed forces chief, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, told Iran’s state TV Sunday that if Israel retaliates, Iran’s response would be “much larger” than the overnight drone and missile assault. Bagheri also warned that if the U.S. backs an Israeli retaliation it would lead to the targeting of U.S. military bases.
In a separate statement, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said “any new Israeli adventure will be met with a heavier and regretful response.”
World leaders and officials from China to the U.K. called for both Israel and Iran to exercise restraint and to avoid further escalation.
Hamas defends attack
Iran’s ally Hamas, which has been fighting Israel in Gaza for more than six months, defended the drone and missile attack on Israel.
“We in Hamas regard the military operation conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran a natural right and a deserved response on the crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the assassination of several leaders of the Revolutionary Guards,” said Hamas in a statement seen by the Reuters news agency.
On Saturday, Hamas rejected a new cease-fire proposal from Israel, which is trying to secure the return of remaining hostages seized by Hamas. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas after the Oct. 7 border attacks by militants, who killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostage. More than 33,000 Palestinians have died amid a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Many Palestinians in Gaza, which has been under constant bombardment from Israel for months, applauded the Iranian attack.
“Whoever decides to attack Israel, dares to attack Israel at a time when the whole world acts in its service is a hero in the eyes of Palestinians regardless of whether we share their (Iran’s) ideology or not,” said Majed Abu Hamza, 52, a father of seven, in Gaza City. “We have been slaughtered for over six months and no one dared to do anything.”
Israel’s airspace reopens
Israel reopened its airspace Sunday after Iran’s attack led to its closure and caused flight cancellations. Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan also said their respective airspaces had reopened to commercial traffic.
El Al, Israel’s flag carrier airline, said its operations had resumed, but many flights were delayed or canceled. Major Iranian airports have canceled all flights until Monday, the country’s state media reported.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem lifted its “shelter in place” order for U.S. workers. In a statement, the diplomatic mission said that the “threat of drone and/or missile barrages has diminished.”