UNS/AFP :Israel was on high alert on Sunday after Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack drew an international chorus of condemnation and sparked fears of a broader conflict.
Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory late on Saturday in retaliation for a deadly Damascus strike, marking a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes.
Its proxies and allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and AFP correspondents heard blasts in the skies above Jerusalem early on Sunday.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned Israel against a “reckless” retaliation, saying one would be a met with “a decisive and much stronger response”.
Iran had repeatedly threatened to strike Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe and Washington had warned repeatedly in recent days that the reprisals were imminent.
It remained unclear how Israel would respond to Iran’s attack. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that “the campaign is not over yet — we must remain alert”.
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, while appearing to guide its staunch ally away from a military response.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel late on Saturday, injuring 12 people, the Israeli army said. But almost all were intercepted before they reached Israeli territory, the army said, with help from the United States, Jordan, Britain and other allies.
Many nations have called for restraint, and the United Nations Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting later on Sunday.
Operation ‘True Promise’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched “extensive” retaliatory drone and missile strikes — as part of what they called the Operation ‘True Promise’ — against “certain targets” inside Israel.
“Last night Iran fired over 300 ballistic missiles, UAVs and cruise missiles towards Israel,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a televised statement, revising an earlier figure of more than 200 launches.
Hagari said 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were launched, none of which entered Israeli territory, adding that 110 ballistic missiles were also fired and few of them reached Israel.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said that “dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches” were identified, with the majority intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory.
One of those injured was a seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin community near the southern town of Arad, who was in intensive care, according to the medical centre that received her.
People in Jerusalem sought cover, as residents also stockpiled water. “As you can see it’s empty, everybody is running home,” said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighbourhood.
Early on Sunday, the Israeli army said that 99 per cent of the launches had been intercepted. “The Iranian attack was foiled,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept “all aerial threats”, and was working with the US and other allies to stop the launches.
