Israel hails success in blocking Iran’s attack
G7 nations condemn strike as Israel mulls its next move
>> Israel on Sunday hailed its air defenses in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying the systems thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory. Regional tensions were high amid fears of an Israeli counter-strike that could fuel further escalation.
U.S. President Joe Biden convened a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies “to coordinate a united diplomatic response.” The participants unanimously condemned the attack and said they “stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing
initiatives.”
The U.S. made clear it would not participate in any offensive action against Iran. “We don’t seek a war with Iran. We’re not looking for escalation here,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told NBC.
Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel
that hit an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month and killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles.
By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over, and Israel reopened its airspace. Israel’s War Cabinet held a meeting.
“We will build a regional coalition and collect the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us,” said a key War Cabinet member, Benny Gantz.
The two foes have for years been engaged in a shadow war marked by attacks such as the Damascus strike. But Sunday’s assault, which set off air-raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Israel has over the years established — often with the help of the United States — a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.
That system, along with collaboration with the U.S. and others, helped thwart