The Iranian military launched a drone attack on Israel after days of increasing tension.
Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said during a briefing for reporters on Saturday that Iran had “fired drones from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” the NYT reported. Hagari confirmed that the Israeli military was monitoring the drones, noting they would take several hours to arrive.
The attack marks the first launched against Israel by Iran from its own soil in the country’s history, according to Axios.
President Joe Biden left his vacation in Delaware Saturday to return to the White House to be briefed on the situation with Iran. The White House released a statement on the escalation in Israel from National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
“Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel. President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House,” Watson said. “His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”
BREAKING: Iran launches attack against Israel using dozens of drones, four U.S. and Israeli officials told me
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 13, 2024
Israel reportedly plans to close its airspace at 12:30 a.m. local time Sunday, according to the NYT, and the Israeli military has begun evacuating certain miliary bases. Tasnim, an Iranian media outlet that is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that the drones were launched in “all directions” to target “occupied territories.”
The attack comes just hours after Israeli officials announced that educational activities, gatherings and workplaces would be canceled or limited due to increased aggression from Iran. Earlier this month, Israel carried out an airstrike in Syria that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad-Reza Zahedi, prompting Iranian officials to threaten retaliation.
