Iran launches drone attack against Israel – reports

Iran has reportedly launched drones towards Israel, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released on Saturday night.

The IDF warned that the wave of drones could take hours to reach Israel. Preliminary reports of the attack have been published on RT and the BBC.

This move follows days of heightened tensions in the region over a potential Iranian retaliation for a strike on the Iranian Embassy in Syria that resulted in the death of a senior Iranian commander. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Saturday night local time the country’s defense systems have been activated.

‘I established a clear principle – whoever hurts us, we hurt him. We will protect ourselves from any threat and we will do so with coolness and determination,’ Netanyahu stated.

Reports from Axios, citing unnamed US and Israeli officials, suggested that dozens of drones were in flight. Additionally, Saudi state-owned news channel Al Arabiya reported that a significant number of suspected Iranian drones had entered airspace in southern Iraq.

Social media footage originating from Iraq appears to corroborate these reports, showing drones flying over Iraqi airspace. The situation remains tense as Israel braces for potential drone incursions.

From RT at 8.42am NZT this morning:

Tehran has reportedly fired dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles in apparent retaliation for an airstrike on its Damascus consulate.

Iran has reportedly launched an attack against Israel using dozens of drones in apparent retaliation for a recent missile strike that killed seven military officers at its consulate in Damascus.

Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported the drone swarm on Saturday, citing four unidentified US and Israeli officials. Videos posted on social media purported to show Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being fired toward Israel from Iran.

Earlier on Saturday, US President Joe Biden cut short a weekend visit to his Delaware beach home, returning to the White House for consultations with his national security advisers due to fears of an “imminent” Iranian attack against Israel. Tehran, which had vowed to take revenge for the April 1 killing of its officers, seized an Israeli-operated container ship in the Persian Gulf around noon on Saturday.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari warned in a video statement that Iran would “bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further. Israel is on high alert.” Iranian-backed militias in the Middle East have ramped up attacks against Israeli and US assets in the region amid West Jerusalem’s war with Hamas.

Shahid 136 drone sighting in the sky of Behbahan, Khuzestan pic.twitter.com/UYtluLGKXX

— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) April 13, 2024

BREAKING NEWS: Cruise missiles launched from Iran.

Given the attack pattern and the number of projectiles, I think some major ISR/AD targets are about to be erased. pic.twitter.com/UJJfFTbOYt

— Korobochka (コロボ) 🇦🇺✝️🇷🇺 (@cirnosad) April 13, 2024

BREAKING: Iran have fired 150 drones toward “Israel”, according to Israeli media. This is in response to Israel’s bombing of Iran’s embassy in Syria.

Netanyahu and the IDF spox just gave speeches: schools are closed, large gatherings banned

Jordan has closed its airspace

— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) April 13, 2024

More to follow.