Iran launched armed drones and missiles against Israel, marking a new and more volatile phase of the Middle East conflict. The attack, in response to an attack in Syria that killed senior Iranian military officers, was the first time Iran had attacked Israel from its own soil.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said early Sunday that more than 200 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones were fired by Iran and intercepted by Israel’s allies before landing. He said that only one 10-year-old girl was seriously injured and the army base sustained minor damage. Hagari had earlier described the attack by Iran as “a severe and dangerous escalation”.

After responding to the Iranian attack, US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden, who returned to the White House from his private residence in Delaware on Saturday, said in a post on X that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is “ironclad.”

Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the action was a “legitimate” defensive response to the attack in Damascus – which Israel has not recognized – and suggested it was a warning. He also warned the US to stay away from conflicts.

“The matter can be considered conclusive,” the Iranian mission said in a social media post. “However, if the Israeli government makes another mistake, Iran’s response will be much more severe.”

Several alarms were sounding in different parts of Israel: Jerusalem, Beer Sheva and Dimona in the south, and the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the West Bank. Residents of Jerusalem reported hearing explosions. Alarm bells also sounded in the north of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said it had cut off GPS service in some areas to help counter the attack.

A US defense official confirmed that its forces in the region shot down an Iranian drone targeting Israel. Another US official familiar with the matter said the US considered the military response to the Iranian attack a success.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said it had deployed Royal Air Force jets to intercept Iranian drones headed for Israel if necessary.

Israel has substantially upgraded its air defenses over the past decade and a half, adding new systems to intercept ballistic missiles fired from a range of 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles). Along with Iran, Iran is also established.

Israel’s most active and well-known air defense is Iron Dome, which has intercepted thousands of rockets fired by Palestinian militants into Gaza since 2011. But Iron Dome is designed for missiles and drones, and it’s just a sophisticated missile. – Defense system in place.

Israel also has a medium-to-long-range interceptor called the David’s Sling and a missile defense system.

The attack was condemned.

British Prime Minister Rishi Singh was among the first leaders to respond to Iran’s attack. “The UK will stand up for the security of Israel and all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq,” Sink said in a statement. France, Germany and the European Union have also condemned this move by Iran.

So did UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for an immediate end to hostilities, citing the risk of a “catastrophic escalation in the region.” Israel demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

The Group of Seven developed nations are planning a video call later Sunday to discuss the attack, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The attack escalates a Middle East conflict that began on Oct. 7 when thousands of Hamas operatives crossed into Israel from Gaza, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 250. A direct conflict between Iran and Israel may be in the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah. As such, Hamas is supported by Iran, raising the possibility of a regional war.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly warned that Israel will be “punished” for the deadly attack in Damascus on April 1, which destroyed the Islamic Republic’s consulate building and killed seven. At least 13 people, including Iranian military personnel, were killed. In keeping with its usual response to accusations of targeting Iran, Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

Recent history suggests that any attack will be measured against what comes next from Iran’s adversaries. For example, in 2020 when the US killed General Qassem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran opted for non-lethal attacks on military bases.

Israeli officials have said Iran’s leaders should expect a retaliatory strike if their country is targeted, though Israel may weigh what it sees as the Iranian attack’s failure to choose its response. What is it.

Iran has tried to remain cautious about its role in hostilities by allied militant groups outside its borders. This policy became more difficult when Hamas attacked Israel, sparking an extended war in Gaza. Houthi rebels in Yemen used it as a pretext for missile attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while Hezbollah has exchanged fire on the border with Israel almost daily since the incursion.