Israel claims success in blocking Iran attack as Middle East tensions rise – NBC Chicago

Israel on Sunday hailed the success of its air defense in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies had thwarted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory. But regional tensions remain high, in a context of fear of a new escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counterattack.

US President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies on Sunday “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” The language indicates that the Biden administration does not want the assault on Iran to escalate into a broader military conflict.

Iran launched the attack in response to a strike widely blamed on Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month that killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles on Sunday morning.

The two enemies have been engaged for years in a shadow war marked by incidents like the Damascus strike. But Sunday’s assault, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military attack on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the country.

Israel has established over the years – often with US assistance – a multi-tiered air defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.

This system, along with collaboration with the United States and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a far more devastating attack at a time when Israel is already mired in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-intensity fighting on its northern border. with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are supported by Iran.

Israeli and American officials praised the response to the airstrike.

“Iran has issued more than 300 threats and 99 percent have been intercepted,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman. “It is a success.” Asked if Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do what was necessary to protect its citizens.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter: “We intercepted. We blocked. Together we will win.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results, thanking the United States and other countries for their help, but warned that the incident was continuing.

“This campaign is not over yet. We must remain vigilant… and prepare for any scenario,” he said in a video statement. “At the same time, we blocked the first wave (of attacks), and we did it very successfully.”

Hagari said minor damage was caused to an Israeli airbase, but it was still operating. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl was seriously injured in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, but said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries.

Israel can be particularly proud of its defense success because it contrasts sharply with the failures it suffered during the Hamas attack on October 7. Facing a much less powerful enemy, Hamas, Israel’s border defenses collapsed and the army took days to recover. pushing back the marauding militants – an embarrassing defeat for the Middle East’s strongest and best-equipped army.

Although thwarting the Iranian offensive could help restore Israel’s image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals.

In Washington, Biden said U.S. forces had helped Israel shoot down “nearly all” of the drones and missiles and pledged to bring his allies together to develop a unified response.

Biden, who cut short a weekend at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke with Netanyahu later in the day.

The UN Security Council on Monday approved a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“I told him that Israel had demonstrated a remarkable ability to defend itself and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its enemies that they cannot effectively threaten Israel’s security,” he said. Biden said.

In a statement Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was “not seeking escalation” and would hold talks with its allies in the coming days.

The United States, along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran warning of a further escalation of the conflict.

In a statement released Saturday evening by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards acknowledged launching “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.”

In a subsequent statement, the Revolutionary Guards issued a direct warning to the United States: “The American terrorist government is warned that any support for or participation in undermining Iran’s interests will be met with a decisive and regrettable response.” from the Iranian armed forces,” the statement said.

Iran had vowed revenge since the April 1 airstrike in Syria, for which Tehran held Israel responsible. Israel has made no comment on the matter.

Israel and Iran are on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. That day, Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, also backed by Iran, killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others.

An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread damage and killed more than 33,000 people, according to local health authorities.

Ongoing negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages appeared to suffer a setback on Sunday. Netanyahu’s office said Hamas had rejected the latest proposed deal.

The proposal was presented to Hamas a week ago by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Almost immediately after the start of the war, Hezbollah began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily firefights, while Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel.