Israel and allies including the US, Great Britain and France have mostly succeeded in thwarting Iran’s unprecedented attack on the Jewish state.
The Islamic Republic fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night. Almost all were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, and no casualties were reported. A 10-year-old girl in Israel was seriously injured by falling shrapnel, while a military base was slightly damaged.
The White House and European officials have urged Israel to exercise restraint in an effort to avoid a direct conflict with Iran that could hit the global economy and send oil and gas prices soaring. Biden especially wants to avoid that in an election year.
Iran has vowed to attack Israel after its embassy compound in Syria was hit by missiles on April 1, killing seven Iranian officers. Saturday night’s attack was a legitimate response, it said.
Tehran has said there will be no further attacks unless Israel retaliates aggressively. It warned of “significantly more severe” strikes if Israel chose that option.
The attacks were marked to the extent that Iranian state media reported the launch of the drones hours before they were due to enter Israeli territory. Many Western diplomats said this was to ensure that damage was contained and losses were minimized.
Stock markets in Israel, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East fell on Sunday, but only slightly.
Israeli ministers called for an aggressive response. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said there should be a “crushing attack” on Iran, while Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the country would attack Iranian territory directly.
Iran said there was a “new equation” between it and Israel. It indicated it was ready for a more direct role in the shadow war with Israel, which is usually waged through its proxy militias in the Middle East.
Biden will speak with Group of Seven leaders on Sunday “to coordinate a unified diplomatic response,” according to a White House statement.
Missiles and Drones
Israel’s military said Iran fired about 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles. Only the latter penetrated Israeli airspace, and in “very small numbers,” according to the IDF. The drones and cruise missiles were all intercepted before they reached Israel.
Alarms were sounded in various places in Israel, including Beer Sheva and Dimon in the south and Jerusalem, as well as the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the West Bank. Residents of Jerusalem heard explosions. The IDF said it had cut navigation services in some areas to prevent incoming GPS-guided missiles.
