Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late Saturday in its first direct attack on Israeli soil, threatening a major escalation as the United States vowed “ironclad” support for Israel. What was promised?

Sirens blared and Reuters journalists in Israel said they heard loud booms and explosions in the distance, which local media called an explosive drone strike. Officials said a 7-year-old girl was seriously injured.

Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired dozens of surface-to-surface missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli borders. He said that they included more than 10 cruise missiles.

Hagari said Iranian salvos have so far shot down more than 200 drones and missiles and caused minor damage to an Israeli military installation. He said that the engagement is not over and Israeli forces are still preventing incoming threats.

Israel’s Channel 12 TV, citing an unnamed Israeli official, said there would be a “significant response” to the attack.

Iran has vowed to retaliate for an April 1 Israeli attack on its Damascus consulate that killed seven Guardsmen, including two senior commanders, saying the attack was punishment for “Israeli crimes”. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack on the consulate.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations warned the US that “if the Israeli government makes one more mistake, Iran’s response will be much more severe.” However, he also said that Iran now “considers that the matter is over”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Iran’s attack and said he was “deeply concerned about the real risk of catastrophic escalation in the region.”

US President Joe Biden, who warned Iran against the attack on Friday, cut short a visit to his home state of Delaware to meet with national security advisers in the White House Situation Room, an official said. They pledged to stand with Israel.

“Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies remains ironclad,” he said on X after the meeting.

The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has heightened tensions in the region, spilling over to the Lebanese and Syrian fronts and targeting Israeli targets as far away as Yemen and Iraq. Is.

British maritime security company Embrey has said in a statement that drones were also launched against Israel allegedly by Yemen’s Iran-linked Houthi group.

The clashes now threaten to pit Iran and its regional allies in direct open conflict against Israel and its main ally the United States, with regional power Egypt urging “extreme restraint”.

Although Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies for decades, their long-standing rivalry has mostly played out through proxies or targeting each other’s forces operating in third countries.

According to Channel 12, US and British warplanes were involved in shooting down some drones flying to Israel in the Iraq-Syria border area. Three U.S. officials said the U.S. military had shot down the drones, without specifying how many.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose official jet took off shortly after the attack began, convened a war cabinet meeting at a military headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said.

Israel’s military said sirens would sound in any threat areas and its defenses were ready to deal with the drones, which it said were “explosive”.

“When the missiles come, we have about 20 seconds to get to the shelters. Here, the warning comes hours ahead of time. It’s natural for the Israeli public,” said Nir Dury, a correspondent for Channel 12 TV. It raises anxiety levels,” said Channel 12 TV correspondent Neer Doori. social media.

Israel’s military told residents of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to stay close to bomb shelters, and to put the area on standby for possible drone strikes.

Israel and Lebanon said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night. Two regional security sources said Jordan, which lies between Iran and Israel, had its air defenses ready to intercept any drones or missiles that might violate its territory.

Residents of several Jordanian cities reported hearing heavy aerial activity.

Syria, an ally of Iran, said it was putting its ground-to-air defense systems on high alert around the capital and major bases, military sources there said.

Condemnation

The European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have all condemned Iran’s attack.

Israel has been bracing for an Iranian response to the Damascus consulate attack since last week, when Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel “must be punished and punished” for what amounted to an action on Iranian soil. Will be”.

Biden said on Friday that his only message to Iran was “don’t do it,” but added that “we are dedicated to the defense of Israel.”

Iran’s main ally in the region, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which has been exchanging fire with Israel since the Gaza war began on October 7, said early Sunday that it had fired rockets at an Israeli base. .

Earlier on Saturday, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that a Guards helicopter had boarded the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries and taken it into Iranian waters.

MSC, which operates the Aries, confirmed Iran had seized the vessel and said it was working “with the relevant authorities” for its safe return and the health of its 25 crew.

MSC leases the vessels from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, Zodiac said in a statement, adding that MSC is responsible for all vessel operations. The money is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of piracy.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)