Israel celebrated on Sunday the effectiveness of its anti-aircraft defenses in the face of an unprecedented Iranian attack and said that with the help of its allies it had intercepted 99% of the more than 300 drones and missiles launched into its territory.
But regional tensions remained high, amid fears of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counterattack.
US President Joe Biden said he would convene a meeting on Sunday of the Group of Seven developed democracies “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to the brazen Iranian attack.”
The terms used by the president indicated that the Biden government does not want the Iranian attack to lead to a broader military conflict. A senior US official said Washington had informed Israel that it did not plan to attack Iran.
The Iranian offensive was responding to an attack widely attributed to Israel on an Iranian consular building in Syria this month, which killed two Iranian generals. Israel said Iran had launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles by Sunday morning.
By Sunday morning, Iran said the attack was over and Israel reopened its airspace.
The two rivals have been waging a covert war for years, characterized by incidents such as the Damascus attack. But Sunday's barrage, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, was Iran's first direct military aggression against Israel, despite decades of enmity that began with the country's Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Israel has for years — often with the help of the United States — been building a multi-layered air defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting various threats, such as long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.
That system, along with its collaboration with U.S. and other forces, helped thwart what would have been a much more devastating attack at a time when Israel is already embroiled in a war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and It fights low-level fighting on its northern border with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Both Hamas and Hezbollah have Iranian support.
Israeli and United States authorities welcomed the response to the airstrike.
“Iran made more than 300 threats and 99% of them were intercepted,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman. “That's a success.” When asked if Israel would respond, the spokesman said the country would do whatever was necessary to protect its citizens.
None of the drones or cruise missiles reached Israel, he said, and only a few of the ballistic missiles made it through. The Israeli air force shot down 25 cruise missiles, Hagari added.
Minor damage had been reported at an Israeli air base, although it remained operational, he said. A seven-year-old girl suffered serious injuries in southern Israel, apparently from a missile attack, according to rescuers, although police were still investigating the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a brief message on X, formerly Twitter, in which he said: “We intercepted. We block. Together, we will win.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also celebrated the results and thanked the United States and other countries for their assistance. He said Israel would have to remain vigilant and prepare for any situation, although he described the interceptions as “a great success.”
Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the operation had ended, according to state news agency IRNA.
“We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel,” he said, according to the report.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated that Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that “any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation will be met with a harsher and more regrettable response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Although thwarting Iranian aggression could help restore Israel's image, its next steps will be closely watched in the region and in Western capitals.
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