The New York Times quoted senior Israeli officials as saying that Iran used 185 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); launched 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles to attack Israeli territory on the night of April 13 and early morning of April 14.
The attack was mainly launched from Iran, but missiles were also fired from Yemen and Iraq. Representatives of the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon said they were also involved in the attack.
Israel recorded minimal damage
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that Iran's 200 missiles and drones caused negligible damage to the Jewish state. Most of the missiles and UAVs were intercepted by the Arrow long-range missile defense system. In addition, aerial targets were intercepted by Israeli Air Force fighter jets. The interceptions were mainly conducted outside Israeli airspace.
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| Iran has launched a large-scale missile and suicide drone attack on Israeli territory. Photo: Getty |
This view is also shared by US military officials. Two US officials told the New York Times that considering the scale of the attack, the damage caused to Israel was "relatively small".
Iran and Israel declare readiness to continue attacking
Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations only stated that the attack on Israel was only a preliminary response to the Israeli attack on Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria.
At the same time, high-ranking sources in Tehran warned that Iran would unleash hell on Israel if Tel Aviv decided to retaliate against a major attack on Iranian territory. It should be noted that if Israel retaliates, Iran will intensify its attacks and the subsequent chain reaction will be more immediate and fierce.
For its part, Israel promised a “strong and significant response” to Iran’s attack. Tel Aviv warned that the response would be decisive and clear.
The US helped Israel prevent an Iranian attack
US President Joe Biden claimed that his move helped Israel repel an attack from Iran. Specifically, it was the Americans who helped the Israelis fight against UAVs and missiles from Iran. The US President also added that there were no attacks on US military targets in the region.
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| Israeli losses in Iran's attack were recorded as minimal. Photo: AP |
Immediately after the attack, the US leader had an urgent phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Joe Biden announced that Washington would not participate in Tel Aviv's retaliatory strikes against Iran.
The US president also expressed concern about Netanyahu’s efforts to drag Washington deeper into the Middle East conflict. The US administration is concerned about how Israel might respond to the recent Iranian attack. US leaders are concerned that Tel Aviv might take steps without thinking through the consequences. Washington is motivated by such considerations due to Israel’s military moves in the Gaza Strip.
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