By firing at least 200 drones in three phases, Iran has launched a direct attack on Israel, in response to the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, just 24 hours ago.

Iran called the operation against Israel “Operation True Promise”.

Information, confirmed by both Israel and the US, refers to Iran’s mass attack with unmanned aerial vehicles, which began shortly before 11 pm Greek time. According to estimates, the Iranian drones took hours to reach their targets on Israeli soil.

Israeli media, citing sources from the government, are reporting that Iran also launched ballistic missiles against Israel. As reported by international media, an attack on Israel has been launched simultaneously by the Houthis of Yemen and by Hezbollah units from Lebanon, which are being hit by the Israeli Army.

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US and allied forces have set up an umbrella of protection around Israel, shooting down several of the Iranian drones. According to the Israeli government, at 6 a.m. a meeting of the Supreme Council was held in order to decide the way to react.

The vast majority of missiles were intercepted before they reached Israeli territory by Israel’s air defence system. The US Secretary of State announced that the US Armed Forces had a hand in shooting down almost all drones and missiles against Israel.

In particular, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles against Israel overnight, 99% of which were shot down, adding that the Armed Forces remain fully operational and are discussing options.

There are no reports of injuries directly related to the Iranian attack. There were some minor injuries to civilians heading to the shelters who suffered panic attacks.

I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. pic.twitter.com/kbywnsvmAx

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 13, 2024

Earlier, the White House announced that US President, Joe Biden, was rushing back to Washington on Saturday afternoon, interrupting his weekend in Delaware, to consult with his Security Council team on incidents in the Middle East. At the same time, Biden requested a convergence of the G7 leaders in order to have a unified diplomatic response to Iran’s attack on Israel.

Tel Aviv, for its part, states that it is ready to repel any attack, adding that the counterattack will be immediate and crucial. The preparatory work has already been done with the mobilization of air defence personnel and full activation of anti-missile systems.

The United Nations Security Council has convened and will hold an emergency meeting later in the day to discuss Iran’s attack on Israel, the body’s presidency announced.

According to a diplomatic source, the meeting is expected to take place around 16:00 (New York time; 23:00 Greek time). Earlier, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, announced via X that he requested the convening of the UN, as the Iranian attack poses a serious threat to world peace and security and he expects to use all means and take strong action against Iran.

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