Amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, Iran reportedly launched dozens of drones towards Israel, a move confirmed by Israeli officials. In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared readiness to retaliate against Iran's aggression.
A number of drones were seen flying from the direction of Iran over Iraq’s Sulaymaniya province, media reports suggest. Iranian officials have announced the release of drones from Yemen, a move confirmed by Israeli authorities who reported the launch of 136 drones by Iran.
In addition to the drone attack, media reports indicate that Iran also fired a cruise missile at Israel, further escalating tensions in the region.
According to media reports, Iranian drones may take up to nine hours to reach Israel, heightening concerns about potential strikes from Iranian forces. Tehran has also reportedly temporarily closed its airspace, as reported by Iranian media.
According to reports from the international media, Israel has evacuated certain military bases, put aircraft in the air and prepared its defense systems in order to intercept drones launched from western Iran and Iraq.
Iran had promised to retaliate, and US President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House and monitor the situation. Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip has inflamed decade-old tensions in the Middle East, and any new attack threatens to escalate that conflict into a wider regional war.
Commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel in the latest attack between the two countries.
Kamikaze UAVs heard over Iraq. pic.twitter.com/WiNcKr8jkM
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 13, 2024
The seizure followed a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general.
Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel that is likely to unfold over a number of hours, the White House said on Saturday.
President Joe Biden is being regularly updated by his national security team and is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as US partners and allies, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
The White House had urged Iran to immediately release a captured Israeli ship, condemning the seizure as a flagrant violation of international law.
The United States also reiterated its commitment to defending Israel, with President Joe Biden asserting that Iran's attack would not succeed.
Amidst the rising tensions, Jordan also decided to temporarily close its airspace, citing the Iran-Israel conflict as the reason, according to Arab media sources.
Meanwhile, the escalating situation prompted Israel to implement a ban on large gatherings until Monday night, with security measures heightened across the country. In preparation for potential threats, several Israeli planes have been deployed into the air to maintain surveillance and security.
The developments mark a significant escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, with regional actors closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds.
