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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:19:33 GMT -5
(BBC News) 8:11pm SummaryIt's just after 03:00 in Israel and sirens are sounding as its air defences intercept Iranian objects in the sky. Here's the latest: --Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles towards Israel in an unprecedented retaliatory attack --Sirens are sounding in Jerusalem, with flashes in the night sky as objects are intercepted by Israel's air defences --Iran suggests it will not launch further strikes, but warns against Israeli retaliation or any involvement by the US --The US shot down some drones that were headed towards Israel, military officials said earlier --Addressing the nation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was “ready for any scenario" Iran's attack follows a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April that killed seven Revolutionary Guards, which Israel has not officially acknowledged
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:20:13 GMT -5
(BBC News) Iran launched more than 200 drones and missiles - IDFWe're hearing from IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. In a televised statement, he says Iran launched a "massive swarm" of more than 200 killer drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. He says Israel's defence systems, and allies in the region, have intercepted the "vast majority" of the missiles and drones, dozens of which he says were shot down outside of Israeli territory.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:26:06 GMT -5
(BBC News) One girl injured and base lightly damaged - IDFMore from IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari now, who says that there has only been one report of an injury so far. He adds that light damage was caused to one military facility after a number of Iranian missiles landed in Israel, but did not give further details of which base. Hagari did not provide more detail on this injury, but earlier Israel's ambulance service said paramedics were treating a 10-year-old girl who was injured by shrapnel from falling debris in the Bedouin area of the Arad region.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:28:13 GMT -5
(Atlantic Counsel) Experts react: Iran just unleashed a major attack on Israel. What’s next?-The war is out of the shadows. Using drones and missiles, Iran unleashed a large-scale attack on Israel tonight. The two countries have long been engaged in a “shadow war,” with Iran using its proxies and Israel undertaking targeted assassinations. Most recently, an Israeli strike in Syria killed several top commanders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), leading to Iran’s widely anticipated response. What will Israel do next? Has a broader regional war begun? What role will the United States play? Our experts weigh in below. -Iran’s launch of ballistic missiles, in conjunction with over one hundred drones, puts the region on the precipice of a broader war that almost no one seems to actually want; one that most actors—the United States, Arab states, even Hezbollah—have sought to avoid over the last six months. But the reality is, this is not an expansion of the war in Gaza; it’s a corollary to it. This response by Iran to Israel’s killing of Mohammad Reza Zahedi and six other IRGC officers in Syria almost two weeks ago doesn’t just move the situation up the escalatory ladder—it obliterates the ladder. Iran’s response, supported by Hezbollah, goes far beyond a proportional response. This marks the first time Iran has launched a direct attack on Israel, and in doing so, it shatters the previous conflict threshold in the long-running war between Israel and Iran, bringing it out of the shadows and into the light. At best, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is almost certain to respond and take steps to attack Iranian targets, probably in Iran, in a manner that will be specific and contained and won’t lead to another significant Iranian response. At worst, the Israeli response will be intense and include the bombardment of important Iranian sites. The ultimate Israeli response is likely to be determined by the impact on the ground in Israel. Death and destruction of military personnel and especially civilians would massively ratchet up the scale of Israel’s response. As of this writing, what is clear is that this is the beginning of a new era, one in which Iran is willing to respond directly to Israeli attacks and in doing so risk retaliation against the Iranian homeland.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:45:51 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:47:02 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 19:48:46 GMT -5
(The Guardian) RAF will intercept Iran's attacks 'as required'British Royal Air Force (RAF) jets in the region "will intercept any airborne attacks within range" of the UK's existing missions in the Middle East "as required", the Ministry of Defence says. It also urges parties in the conflict to de-escalate. Another statement by Defence Minister Grant Shapps says additional RAF assets have been deployed to the region, including jets and air refuelling tankers. "I strongly condemn the senseless airborne attack that Iran has launched on Israel," he says. "It serves no benefit other than to further undermine regional security." Biden to speak with NetanyahuPresident Joe Biden’s meeting with his national security advisers in the White House has concluded after roughly two hours, a US official tells the BBC's partner CBS News. The official adds that Biden will speak by phone this evening with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His national security team will continue to work with partners in the region to prevent further escalation, they say.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 20:19:25 GMT -5
(BBC News) I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint - GuterresUN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he is "deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation". "I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening. I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities," he says in a statement, adding: I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East. I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war." Minor damage to base in southern Israel - IDFAs we've been reporting, Israel's military says it has intercepted the "vast majority" of missiles and drones launched by Iran. In a new statement, the IDF says it intercepted the majority using its "Arrow" aerial defence system, together with strategic allies in the region, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. It says a small number of hits were recorded, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, "where minor damage was caused to infrastructure".
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 20:33:13 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 20:44:52 GMT -5
(The Guardian) 9:14pm SummaryIt’s 4.15am in Jerusalem, 4.45am in Tehran and 9.15pm in Washington. Here’s what we know about the attack taking place against Israel. --Iran has launched dozens of drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel, the Islamic Republic’s first ever direct attack on the Jewish state in response to the 1 April strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in the Syrian capital of Damascus which killed a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and eight other officers. --Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corp has said that it launched ballistic missiles at “specific targets” in Israel as part of what it called “Operation True Promise”. --The first wave reached Israel at around 2am local time (midnight BST), with sirens blaring across the country and explosions visible and audible in the sky in several places. Commercial capital Tel Aviv, the disputed city of Jerusalem, and Dimona, the desert city home to Israel’s nuclear plant, all appeared to have been targeted. --Iranian strikes caused “minor damage” to an Israeli base, army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Sunday, after Iran’s state media reported “heavy blows” to the base from its missiles. “Only a few missiles fell in the territory of the state of Israel with slight damage to a military base in the south, with only slight damage to the infrastructure,” Hagari said in a statement. --Most of the missiles launched by Iran were intercepted outside Israel’s borders, while a limited number fell inside the country’s territory, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee has said. He said that the total number of aerial units launched from Iran was about 200 and there were reports that one child had been injured. --US president Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house and returned to the White House to meet his national security team and monitor the situation shortly before the attack was announced. --The US and UK reportedly helped Israel shoot down Iranian drones over Jordan, Iraq and Syria in an effort to blunt the attack and prevent an uncontrollable escalation. “US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel,” a senior US defence official told reporters. --Royal Air Force fighter jets and refuelling aircraft were also involved, taking off from bases in Cyprus. Their role, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, was to fill in for the US air force in the sorties against the Islamic State normally carried out over Iraq and north-eastern Syria, but also to intercept Iranian drones if they came into the UK area of operations. --Reuters quoted two regional security sources as saying Jordanian jets had downed dozens of Iranian drones flying across northern and central Jordan heading towards Israel. --World leaders have condemned Iran’s attack with regional powers including Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for restraint. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said he is deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 20:52:34 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Mitch McConnell calls for Congress to take action on supplemental bill that includes aid for Israel and UkraineSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said the US “must stand with our ally.” “President Biden must lead an international effort to impose sufficient costs on Tehran to compel an end to its aggression and terror … The president must also give Israel the time, space, and support it deserves to finish the job against Hamas. Tehran and its proxies are emboldened when they see divisions between the US and Israel.” McConnell, a senior Republican leader, has called for Congress to “do its part.” -- “The national security supplemental that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region.”That $95bn supplemental spending bill includes $14bn for Israel, in addition to $60bn for Ukraine, support for Taiwan and billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. It was passed by the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House, whose Republican leaders will not call it up for a vote, largely because of their objection to further funding for Ukraine. House majority leader Steve Scalise said in a statement that there will be a change to the House schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable. It was unclear whether Scalise was referring to a stand-alone bill to aid Israel or the $95bn supplemental spending bill.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 20:57:02 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Injuries at IDF base in south of IsraelA few injuries were reported at a military base in the south of Israel where there was minor damage to infrastructure, Israeli army spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement. He said the vast majority of the missiles launched from Iran were intercepted outside the borders of Israel. -- The air defense fighters successfully intercepted using the “Arrow” system and, together with the strategic partner countries, most of the launches before they crossed the territory of the country.” Netanyahu speaks with Joe Biden as war cabinet meeting concludesIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to US president Joe Biden, his office has said. The conversation came at the conclusion of a meeting by Israel’s war cabinet.
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 20:57:49 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 21:10:59 GMT -5
(The Guardian) UN security council will hold emergency meeting SundayThe UN security council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday after Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the body’s president said. The meeting is aiming to be held at 4pm on Sunday and is at Israel’s request, a spokesperson for Malta, which holds the rotating presidency this month, told the media Saturday evening. Israel’s ambassador to the UN called for the meeting in a letter to the security council president, labelling Iran’s attack a “flagrant violation of Israel’s sovereignty.”
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Post by Webster on Apr 13, 2024 21:52:59 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Thousands gather in Iran in show of support for attack on Israel - AFPThousands of Iranians took to the streets of Iran early on Sunday in a show of support for the unprecedented drone and missile attack under way against Israel, Agence France-Presse reported. Demonstrators waved Iranian and Palestinian national flags alongside banners reading “God’s victory is near”. Some chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” in Tehran’s Palestine Square. A mural saying “the next slap is fiercer” was unveiled in the square where a huge banner has hung for days calling, in Hebrew, for Israelis to “take shelter”. A large crowd of demonstrators gathered outside the British embassy in Tehran. Demonstrators also gathered near the grave in the southern city of Kerman of prominent Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad.
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