Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that’s goal was to test Israel’s air defenses in the April 13th attack — the first on Israel since Saddam Hussein launched Scud missiles at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War. However, Israeli air defenses and fighter jets, backed by the U.S, the United Kingdom and neighboring Jordan, shot down the vast majority of the incoming fire. Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Iranian attack caused only minor damage at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, including taking a chunk out of a taxiway that Israel has repaired. Iran’s attack came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on April 1 targeting a consular building next to the Iranian Embassy in Syria which killed two Guard generals and others. The Israel Defense Forces said Iran’s attack on Israel included 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles.
Khamenei the Supreme Leader of Iran held a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran’s regular military, police and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within it’s Shiite theocracy. “Debates by the other party about how many missiles were fired, how many of them hit the target and how many didn’t, these are of secondary importance,” Khamenei said in remarks aired by state television. “The main issue is the emergence of the Iranian nation and Iranian military’s will in an important international arena. This is what matters.”“Today, thanks to the work done by our armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard, the army, the police, each in its own way, praise be to Allah the image of the country around the world has become commendable,” added Khamenei.
US President Joe Biden and security officials watched with “mounting alarm” as the scale of Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel became clear last weekend, according to an April 18th report. US officials were confident they could help counter around 50 ballistic missiles,but became deeply concerned when it became clear that over 100 had been fired by Iran, according to the report. Biden reiterated the US’s unwavering support for Israel but also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “think carefully and strategically about the risk of escalation,” adding that Israel had successfully demonstrated its military superiority and it did not need to strike back to prove its capabilities. The US again demonstrated its alliance with Israel by helping it prevent the Iranian attack and slapping more sanctions on the Islamic Republic afterward. The Biden administration has been striving to keep the situation in the Middle East from escalating amid the ongoing war in Gaza and skyrocketing tensions with Tehran.Israel vowed to retaliate for Iran’s reprisal attack, and allegedly did so on Thursday night, when the Natanz nuclear base in the Iranian city of Isfahan was targeted. Israel has not officially commented on the strike, while Iran has downplayed the incident and insisted that only three small drones — and no missiles — were involved in the attack.
