Iran’s drone attacks on Israel check to US, others – US’ Scott Ritter
*As Israel hit by over 300 Iran’s drones, ballistic missiles, others
The Islamic Republic of Iran launched dozens of drones towards Israel amid escalating tensions between the two rivals following last penultimate week’s attack on the Iranian Consulate in Syria, the Israeli army confirmed the attacks on Israel last Friday 12th April 2024.
A former commander in the United States Armed Forces, Scott Ritter, describedvtge situation as one by which not even any of US, Israel and otgw4 Western powers will have the monopoly of attacks on tge Middle-East anymore.
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According to him, Iran gave one of greater military displays in the launched drone attacks on Israel that day.
Noting the areas of strength of whereby Iran creat8vely produces the war equivalent that only cost US huge amount of money to counter (if possibke), Scott Ritter said Tehran had vowed that should US or Israel attempt any further attack on it or its interest, it will come fully with attacks on them and other western powers within its nuclear range.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari had said the drones would take between seven to nine hours to reach Israel.
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He said there would be GPS disruptions as the military works to intercept the Iranian drones.
However, fearing the impact, Israeli news website Walla, citing US and Israeli sources, confirmed Iran has initiated its attack on Israel and launched drones towards it.
Despite the boast of the Israeli spokesperson that his country had equipment capable of intercepting the Iran’s drones, reports had reported Israel successfully received those drone attacks helplessly.
Al Jazeera reported on Sunday 14th April 2024 that Iran attacks Israel with over 300 drones, missiles under its headline “What you need to know”.
It said Iran had launched a massive aerial attack on Israel, two weeks after a deadly strike on its consulate in Syria.
Iran unleashed a barrage of missiles and drones on Saturday night and early on Sunday, targeting Israel in retaliation for April 1’s suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus, which killed 13 people.
The report provided infornation about what happened and what analysts say could happen next.
What happened in Israel and when?
The Iran’s massive aerial attack marked the first direct strike by Iran on Israeli territory from Iranian soil. Iran called the attack Operation True Promise.
The attack began on Saturday 13th April 2024 about 20:00 GMT. It lasted about five hours, according to United States officials.
During the attack, explosions were heard in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv. The explosions were also heard in Jerusalem, and air raid sirens sounded in more than 720 locations as Israeli forces sought to shoot down the projectiles.
Israel’s chief military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, who had dismissed thought of successful reach for the domestic launched in Friday, finally admitted saying the Iran’s attack involved more than 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones and more than 30 cruise missiles, according to a report by The Associated Press news agency.
The Israeli military also said the vast majority of the projectiles were intercepted outside the country’s borders with help from the US, the United Kingdom and France. Jordan also shot down some of the missiles aimed at Israel as they were flying through Jordanian airspace.
Israel’s military added that a “small number of hits were identified”. In a base in southern Israel, “minor damage occurred to the infrastructure”, it said.
A seven-year-old girl was also severely injured by missile fragments while other patients sustained minor injuries and some were treated for anxiety.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday that the US also intercepted “dozens” of missiles and drones launched at Israel from Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Where exactly did the attacks take place?
During the attack, Israel’s military ordered residents in the northern Israeli-occupied Golan Heights – near the Syrian and Lebanese borders – and in the southern cities of Nevatim, Dimona and Eilat to remain near bomb shelters.
Nevatim is the site of an Israeli airbase while Dimona has a nuclear reactor on its outskirts. Eilat is Israel’s Red Sea port, which has suffered a sharp decline in operations because of repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on ships using the waterway.
