Iran has launched a drone and missile attacks on Israel, according to multiple military sources.
The Israel Defense Forces said Iran launched aerial drones at Israel on Saturday.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the drones may take several hours to reach their intended targets.
“We are following the threat in the airspace. It’s a threat that will take a number of hours to arrive in Israel,” Hagari said in a statement.
He stressed that the country has a plan in place to intercept the drones.
“The defense and offense systems of the Israeli Air Force are on alert, and dozens of planes are in the skies — prepared and ready. We are conducting a situational assessment with our strategic partners, primarily the U.S., and maintaining tight coordination with them,” Hagari said.
Hagari called on Israelis to be “vigilant.”
The IDF said its forces were on high alert and “monitoring all targets.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country has prepared for a “direct attack by Iran.”
“Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The state of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong,” Netanyahu stated.
The Israeli leader stated, “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.”
Netanyahu mentioned that he would appreciate the support of the U.S., Britain, France, and “many other countries.”
Netanyahu met with his war cabinet, according to a statement from his office.
Iran state media also confirmed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had “launched extensive drone strikes against targets in occupied territories,” referring to Israel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on state-run TV that it had launched “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.”
A senior U.S. administration official also told CNN that several dozen drones were launched from Iran.
The supposed strike included dozens of drones and may also have missiles, according to a U.S. official and an Israeli official.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that the U.S. anticipates that there will be 500 drones and missiles fired at Israel from Iraq, Syria, southern Lebanon, and Yemen.
National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement, “This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. 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.”
President Joe Biden cut short his weekend trip to his beach house in Delaware to return to the White House to consult with his National Security Council.
Public shelters have been opened in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
Israeli aviation authorities closed the country’s airspace to all flights as of 12:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. EDT).
The anticipated attack comes after Israel killed seven military officers, including a top commander, at Iran’s embassy in Syria last week. Iran vowed to retaliate for the attack on its Damascus
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