Iran Launches Drones at Israel: IDF

Iran has launched drone attacks against Israel after an Israeli strike killed two Iranian generals earlier this month.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told Newsweek on Saturday that Iran launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from within its territory toward the country.

The Context:

The conflict between Israel and Iran is the tensest it's been since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war that began after Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched a surprise attack killing 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel subsequently launched an operation to target Hamas in Gaza, killing over 30,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

U.S. and Israeli officials have both accused Iran of providing not only political, but also material backing to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as other militias abroad such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, and an array of forces in Iraq and Syria.

On April 1, an Israeli airstrike destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force.

Iran vowed to retaliate, with the commander of the Revolutionary Guard warning last week that "our brave men will punish the Zionist regime."

What We Know:

"The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation," the Israeli military told Newsweek in a statement on Saturday. "The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli airspace. The IDF is monitoring all targets. We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter."

In another message to Newsweek, the IDF said that the UAVs were launched from Lebanon toward Kfar Blum and Hanita in northern Israel.

"In response, IDF fighter jets and artillery struck Hezbollah terror targets in the areas of El Kharayeb, Wardiyeh, and Khilat al-Daba. Among the targets struck were terror infrastructure and military posts," the Israeli military said.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson told Newsweek via email on Saturday that "Iran has begun an airborne attack against Israel...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."

Yaari Cohen from Israel's foreign ministry shared a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.

"For the past number of weeks Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran, our air defenses are deployed, we are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense," Netanyahu said. "The State of Israel is strong, the IDF Is strong, the Israeli public is strong."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted a video on X on Saturday from a speech he gave on Wednesday.

"The malicious regime itself, which is all malice, evil, and error, added another mistake to its own errors by launching an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria," he said. "The malicious regime has made a wrong move in this case. It should be punished, and it will be punished."

Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching "dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime," in a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

Idrees Ali, a national security correspondent for Reuters posted on X: "A number of drones were seen flying from the direction of Iran over Iraq's Sulaymaniya province, three security sources told Reuters on Saturday."

Meanwhile, Timour Azhari, an Iraq bureau chief for Reuters, wrote on X on Saturday: "Iraq's airspace is shut with dozens of drones flying over the country in the direction of Israel."

Views:

Joel Rubin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for House Affairs during the Obama administration, told Newsweek via text message on Saturday: "Iran's assault on Israeli territory is unjustifiable and extraordinarily provocative. Iran has been using the territory of countries adjacent to Israel, like Syria and Lebanon, as bases for proxy strikes against Israel and Israel's responses have focused on her defending itself from these attacks."

He added that the fact that Iran is now attacking Israel directly "should come as no surprise but should be of deep concern to every country in the region, as it has chosen to escalate long simmering tensions to an unacceptably high level."

Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., an international security think tank, told Newsweek via text message on Saturday: "Iran had to respond to an attack that it regarded as one on its sovereign territory. My hope is that Israel will intercept the drones or that they will cause only property damage, not casualties."

Speaking to the broader conflicts in the Middle East, she added: "I understand why Israel hit the Iranians in Damascus but it was reckless. What is required is a Gaza ceasefire and release of remaining hostages."

Slavin added that Israel had been waiting for Iran to strike back. "Iran may have achieved its goal just by keeping Israelis on edge for a week and causing economic disruption," she said.

What's Next?

Watson told Newsweek that "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."

She added: "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."

Update 4/13/24, 4:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and comment from the Pentagon.

Update 4/13/24, 5:16 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and comment from Rubin, Slavin, the IDF, and the NSC.

Update 4/13/24, 5:38 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional comment from Slavin.