How Israel’s mindless aggression against Iran threatens fragile global peace
By Emma Ogbuehi (With Agency Reports)
Iran on Saturday launched ballistic missiles as part of its attack targeting Israel. The attack is a retaliation against Israeli unprovoked attack against Iran in Damascus which led to the death of seven Iranian military officers.
What happened?
On April 1, Israel was accused of using its warplanes to bomb Iran’s embassy in Syria’s capital, Damascus. The attack killed seven of Iran’s military advisers, including three senior commanders.
Diplomatic compounds, including embassies and consulates, are generally considered sovereign territory of the country they represent and are afforded certain protections. However, during times of war or conflict, diplomatic compounds may become targets for attacks by opposing forces, despite their protected status. These attacks are usually condemned by the international community, and when they do occur in conflict zones, it often leads to diplomatic tensions — and potential repercussions.
This attack came amid the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Though Iran does not take responsibility for aiding Hamas during its attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 Israelis, the two countries have long been in conflict.
U.S. officials are concerned that a direct attack on Israel by Iran could pull the U.S., Israel’s ally, into a wider war.
READ ALSO: Tension as Iran launches drone attacks at Israel
The Iranian state-run IRNA news agency quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack.
Already, slow-moving Shahed-136 bomb-carrying drones have been seen in the skies over Iran. However, those are more easily shot down.
A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound.
Israel has missile defense systems capable of targeting ballistic missiles. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles like the campaign launched late Saturday by Iran, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher.
The Israel Defense Forces also on Saturday said that Iran had launched drones toward Israel, an attack that the U.S. and Israel had warned was possible amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters Saturday that Israel was tracking the threat in its airspace, per CNN, noting that drones fired from Iran would take several hours to reach Israel. Barak Ravid, a political reporter for Axios and global affairs analyst at CNN, also reported that Iran had launched dozens of drones toward Israel on Saturday, citing four U.S. and Israeli officials.
The White House confirmed the attack, issuing a statement from National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson that said, “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,” the statement from Watson read, adding: “This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours.”
President Biden decided to cut his weekend visit to Delaware short, returning to the White House on Saturday to meet with his national security team amid growing concerns about the attack on Israel by Iran. This follows accusations that Israel is responsible for the attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria earlier this month, which killed seven Iranian military advisers. U.S. and Israeli officials have been on high alert for a possible retaliatory attack.
On Friday, Biden said he expects Iran to attack “sooner than later,” issuing a one-word warning to officials in Tehran: “Don’t.”
“We are devoted to the defense of Israel,” the president added. “We will support Israel and help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.” The U.S. has taken steps in recent days to protect Americans in Israel and prepare U.S. troops and warships in the region to defend Israel in the event of a direct attack.
With the latest news out of Israel on Saturday, it appears that Iran has ignored Biden’s warning. Here’s a look at how we got here, and what could happen next.
What Iran has said
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said of the April 1 attack: “The Zionist regime will be punished by the hands of our brave men. We will make it regret this crime and others it has committed.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Khamenei’s political adviser declared the United States “directly responsible” for the attack on the embassy, “whether or not it was aware of the intention to carry out this attack.”
U.S. officials have reportedly said the U.S. had no involvement or advance knowledge of the strike on the Iranian embassy.
On Saturday, ahead of the reported drone launch, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz in another apparent sign of escalating aggression by Iran.
What Israel has said
Israel has not publicly taken responsibility for the embassy attack.
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant announced on Saturday that Israel has enhanced its defensive and offensive capabilities in preparation for potential attacks by Iran. Gallant emphasized Israel’s commitment to protecting its citizens and labeled Iran a “terrorist state.”
On Saturday, the IDF suspended educational activities and limited gatherings in fear of retaliation from Iran.
What are U.S. officials saying?
In a Saturday post on X, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan shared, “This morning, I spoke with my Israeli counterpart, National Security Adviser [Tzachi] Hanegbi, to discuss events in the Middle East. During the call, I reiterated the United States’ ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.”
Out of “an abundance of caution,” the United States also restricted government employees and their family members from personal travel outside of the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. is moving warships in support of Israel in case of an Iranian attack. A U.S. defense official also told CNN that the Defense Department is moving more assets to the Middle East “to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces.”
What could the attack look like?
The United States is concerned about a direct threat on Israel from Iran or one of its proxies, CNN reported.
According to sources familiar with U.S. intelligence, per CNN, the United States has observed Iran positioning assets, such as drones and cruise missiles, suggesting preparations for potential attacks on Israeli targets from within Iran. What is unknown is whether Iran intends to launch these missiles or is merely posturing to deter possible counterattacks on Iran by Israel or the U.S.
How are other countries responding?
The United Kingdom and France also issued travel warnings in the Middle East. France issued travel warnings to citizens advising them to “absolutely refrain” from traveling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories due to the risk of “military escalation.” India, Germany and Canada also issued travel advisories to their citizens.