TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel on Sunday praised the success of its air defenses in the face of an unprecedented situation. Iran attack, saying he and his allies thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward their territory. But regional tensions remain high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counterattack.
President of the USA Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” The language indicated that the Biden administration does not want the Iran attack to escalate into a broader military conflict.
Iran launched the attack in response to an attack widely attributed to Israel in an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month, which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles on Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over and that Israel had reopened its airspace.
The two enemies have been involved in a parallel war for years, marked by incidents such as the attack on Damascus. But Sunday’s attack, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was the first time Iran has launched a direct military attack against Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Over the years, Israel has established – often with the help of the United States – a multilayer air defense network this includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.
That system, along with collaboration with the US and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a much more devastating attack at a time when Israel is already mired in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-intensity fighting. in its north. border with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are supported by Iran.
Israeli and US officials praised the response to the airstrike.
“Iran has launched more than 300 threats and 99% have been intercepted,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman. “This is a success.” Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do whatever was necessary to protect its citizens.
Hagari said none of the drones and cruise missiles reached Israel and that only a few ballistic missiles made it through. He said that of the cruise missiles, 25 were shot down by the Israeli air force.
Hagari said minor damage was caused to an Israeli air base but said it was still operational. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl was seriously injured in southern Israel, apparently in a missile attack, although they said police were still investigating the circumstances of the injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter: “We intercepted. We block. Together, we will win.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results, thanking the US and other countries for their help. He said Israel needs to remain vigilant and prepare for any scenario, but called the interceptions a “great success.”
Israel announced it had reopened its airspace, easing a restriction it had imposed before the attack, although schools remained closed across the country. Neighboring Jordan has also reopened its airspace.
General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the operation was over, state news agency IRNA reported.
“We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel,” he said.
Israel can be particularly proud of the success of your defense because it contrasts sharply with the failures it suffered during the Hamas attack on October 7th. Facing a much less powerful enemy, Hamas, Israel’s border defenses collapsed and the military took days to repel the marauding militants – an embarrassing defeat for the strongest and best-equipped army in the Middle East.
While thwarting the Iranian attack could help restore Israel’s image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals.
In Washington, Biden said US forces helped Israel shoot down “almost all” of its drones and missiles and promised to rally allies to develop a unified response.
Biden, who cut short a weekend at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke with Netanyahu later in the day.
“I told you that Israel has demonstrated a remarkable ability to defend and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its enemies that they cannot effectively threaten Israel’s security,” Biden said.
In a statement on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US “does not seek escalation” and would hold talks with its allies in the coming days.
The US, together with its allies, sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalation of the conflict. G7 leaders will hold a video conference early Sunday afternoon to discuss Iranian attacks on Israel, according to Italy, which holds the presidency of the group of developed countries, which includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, and Canada.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has issued a new threat against the U.S. “The U.S. terrorist government is warned that any support for or participation in harming Iran’s interests will be followed by a decisive and regrettable response by Iran’s military,” it said a statement released by IRNA.
Iran has vowed revenge since April 1 air strike in Syria, for which Tehran held Israel responsible. Israel has not publicly commented on this.
Israel and Iran have been on a collision course during Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, triggered by the October 7 attack on Israel. On that day, militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also supported by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped another 250.
An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed more than 33,000 people, according to local health officials.
Ongoing negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages appeared to have suffered a setback on Sunday. Netanyahu’s office said Hamas rejected the latest deal proposal, which was presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
A Hamas official said the group wants a “clear written commitment” that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip during the second phase of a three-phase ceasefire agreement. The agreement presented to the parties envisages a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, during which Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group holds in the enclave in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, including 100 serving long sentences. for serious crimes.
Hamas welcomed Iran’s attack, saying it was “a natural right and a deserved response” to the attack in Syria and urged Iranian-backed groups in the region to continue supporting Hamas in the war against Israel.
Almost immediately after the start of the war, Hezbollah began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been engaged in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles at Israel.
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Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.
