Iran launches drones towards Israel, says IDF
Bethan McKernan
Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, has said that Iran has launched dozens of drones towards Israel, a development that brings the two countries to the brink of all-out conflict after more than a decade of shadow war and soaring tensions in the wake of 7 October and Israel’s war in Gaza.
The drones are “hours away” from reaching Israeli soil, officials told local media on Saturday night. Israel’s forces have been on high alert for days for the possibility of a direct attack launched by Tehran, and jets could be heard roaring across the north of the country after the announcement. Israel’s sophisticated Iron Dome air defence system is expected to be able to intercept Shahed drones, which fly at around 150km/hour.
Rumours swirled for several hours before Hagari’s statement at 11pm local time (9pm BST) about Iran’s threatened retaliation for the 1 April killing of Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, in an Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
As several surrounding countries closed their airspaces in anticipation of the attack, Israel announced that schools will be closed for the next two days.
Key events
Jordan’s air force shooting down Iranian drones in airspace – reports
Jordan’s air force intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian drones that violated its airspace and were heading to Israel, two regional security sources told the Reuters news agency.
Residents in several cities in the northern part of the country – near Syria – and central and southern areas heard heavy aerial activity.
In neighbourhoods south of the capital Amman, 60 km from Jerusalem, several downed drones were reportedly seen. Reuters has said that residents gathered around the remnants of one suspected large drone that fell in a commercial area of the city’s Marj al Hamam suburb.
There was no confirmation from the Jordanian government on its military role. The Iranian news agency Fars cited a source as saying that the regime in Tehran was closely monitoring Jordan’s actions which could make the Arab state “the next target” if it acted in Israel’s defence.
Jordan had earlier said it closed its airspace starting to all incoming, departing and transiting aircraft.
“The relevant authorities took the decision to close the airspace for precautionary reasons as a result of the surrounding security situation,” Jordan’s government spokesperson Muhannad Mubaideen said.
A number of world leaders have condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, with French foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné saying that in “taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation.”
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X that Germany condemns “in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos.
“Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately,” Baerbock wrote. “We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time.”
Iran hat Drohnen & Raketen auf Israel abgeschossen. Wir verurteilen den laufenden Angriff, der eine ganze Region ins Chaos stürzen kann, aufs Allerschärfste. Iran & seine Proxies müssen diesen sofort einstellen. Israel gilt in diesen Stunden unsere ganze Solidarität.
— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) April 13, 2024
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said his nation “unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks against Israel.”
“We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult,” Trudeau said in a statement.
“We support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from these attacks.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards release new statement
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said any threat from the United States and Israel will be met with Tehran’s reciprocal response, Iranian state TV reported.
“Any threat by the United States and the Zionist regime originating from any country will result in a proportional and reciprocal response from Iran towards the origin of the threat,” the Guards said in a statement.
Separately, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement reported on state TV that the country would not hesitate to take further “defensive measures” to protect its interests against any military aggression.
Iran, if necessary, will not hesitate to take further defensive measures to safeguard its legitimate interests against any military aggressions and unlawful use of force … while reaffirming its commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.”
Some pictures taken of the sky over Israel are beginning to come in.
Explosions have been seen above Tel Aviv, while other objects – likely drones – were identified in other images.
Joe Biden is meeting with his national security team at the White House and is monitoring the situation in the Middle East.
Earlier, national security council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said “the United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”
The White House has released this picture of Biden in a meeting with his team in Washington.
Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting with his war cabinet at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to a statement from his office.
US embassy in Jerusalem tells government employees to shelter in place
All US government employees should shelter in place until further notice, a security alert posted by the US embassy in Jerusalem has said.
In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel (including the Old City of Jerusalem) and the West Bank.”
Egypt calls on all parties to exercise ‘utmost restraint’
Egypt has called on all parties to exercise “utmost restraint” to spare the region and its people from further factors of instability and tension.
In a post on X, Egypt’s foreign ministry said:
“Egypt considers that the dangerous escalation that the Iranian and Israeli arena is currently witnessing is nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about.
Egypt stresses that it is in constant contact with all concerned parties to try and contain the situation, stop the escalation and spare the region the risk of sliding into a dangerous turn of instability and threat to the interests of its people.”
Air travel disrupted across the region
Since confirmation that Iran’s long-promised attack on Israel has been launched, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon have all announced that they are temporarily closing their airspace.
Israel said it was closing its own airspace earlier in the evening.
United Airlines has canceled a planned Saturday flight from Newark to Tel Aviv due to the restrictions on Israeli airspace, the airline said in a statement.
Elsewhere, a flight from Moscow to Tehran which took off on Saturday evening was diverted to Makhachkala in Russia’s Dagestan region, Russian agencies reported.
“In order to ensure flight safety, the plane will return to Moscow after refuelling,” the Tass news agency reported.
Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot also said it was postponing flights from Moscow and St Petersburg to the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada in Egypt, from Moscow to Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt and from Moscow to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps has condemned the attack Iran has launched on Israel, saying it serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security.
In response to the escalation in the region and in partnership with our allies, the Prime Minister and I have authorised the deployment of additional Royal Air Force assets.
Shapps has reiterated the statement from the Ministry of Defence, saying that RAF jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of the militaries existing missions.
Additional @RoyalAirForce jets and air refuelling tankers have deployed to the Middle East to bolster Op Shader, the UK’s existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq & Syria.
In addition, the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. My statement: pic.twitter.com/14p2kwGxb6— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) April 13, 2024
Explosions visible in the sky in several places as air raid sirens blare out across the country
Bethan McKernan
Sirens blared out across the country and explosions were visible and audible in the sky in several places as the first wave of the attack reached Israel at around 2am local time (midnight BST).
The attack is expected to unfold over a number of hours. Commercial capital Tel Aviv, the disputed city of Jerusalem, and Dimona, the desert city home to Israel’s nuclear plant, all appeared to have been targeted.
The US House of Representatives will make a change in its schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable, House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement on Saturday.
The House of Representatives stands strongly with Israel, and there must be consequences for this unprovoked attack.”
US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said that America’s commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unbreakable.
Iran, a sworn enemy of the United States, has launched an unprecedented attack against our Democratic ally, the State of Israel … Iran will not succeed. We stand with the people of Israel during this moment of significant challenge.”
