Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones against Israel on Saturday, marking the first direct attack by Iran against Israel after decades of tension in the region. Israel has warned that the Iranian attack, which was largely intercepted by Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, “will be met with a response.”
Israel Defense Forces has claimed that Israel’s military and its international partners “executed a defensive operation against approximately 300 aerial threats launched from Iran and its proxies with a 99% interception rate.”
Israel Defense Forces noted that Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations launched 170 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 30 cruise missiles against Israel; however, none of the UAVs or cruise missiles entered Israeli territory. Additionally, of the 120 ballistic missiles launched against Israel, only a few of the missiles entered Israeli territory without being intercepted.
The The Times of Israel reported that both the United States and the United Kingdom assisted Israel in shooting down Iran’s attack on Saturday.
A video shared by Israel Defense Forces shows “operational footage” from the “Aerial Defense System” during Saturday’s attack.
CBS News reported that Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman, announced Sunday that roughly 350 “suicide drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and rockets” had been launched against Israel from Iran, Yemen, Iraq, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Two U.S. officials told CBS News that five ballistic missiles managed to get past Israeli and U.S. air defenses and hit Israeli territory.
The two U.S. officials told CBS News that four ballistic missiles hit the Nevatim Airbase, which is believed to have been Iran’s primary target, while a fifth missile missed its target.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s attack, the Israeli military has made it clear that Israel will respond to Iran’s historic attack. According to ABC News, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi announced Monday that while the Iranian attack “will be met with a response,” Israel is still considering what the response will look like.
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ABC News also reported that while President Joe Biden’s administration has emphasized its commitment to defend Israel, multiple U.S. officials have indicated that the United States will not participate in any retaliatory actions that Israel could launch against Iran.
“We believe Israel has freedom of action to defend itself, in Syria or elsewhere. That’s a long-standing policy and that remains,” a senior official told ABC News. “But no, we would not envision ourselves participating in such a thing.”
According to The Associated Press, Iran’s attack is the first time Iran has launched a direct attack against Israel. The outlet noted that the attack came less than two weeks after it was reported that an Israeli strike in Syria killed two of Iran’s military generals.
A video shared by Emanuel Fabian, a journalist with Times of Israel, shows Saturday night’s view from Jerusalem’s Temple Mount while Israel and its allies intercepted the Iranian missiles and drones.
