Iran launches attack on Israel
The IDF said “99% of the threats” launched toward Israel were intercepted.
Iran launched an attack on Israel Saturday night, firing more than 300 unmanned drones and missiles at locations around the country, according to Israeli military officials.
All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the US, according to officials.
The Pentagon said April 2 that Israel was behind an airstrike in Damascus, Syria, that killed seven people, including a top Iranian commander, even though Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Saturday attack on Israel came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded the country on Oct. 7, 2023, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Iran launches attack on Israel
MORE : Pentagon confirms Israel launched strike against Iran in Syria.
According to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari, the Iranian attack resulted in only one reported Israeli casualty: a child who was critically hurt after being struck by fragments from an intercepted missile. According to the hospital, the girl is 7 years old and is in “difficult and unstable” condition. “She has a serious head injury and her life is in danger,” the hospital stated. Iran launches attack on Israel
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi declared on Sunday that Iran had given Israel a lesson, warning of a “heavier” response to “any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian nation.” The Iranian envoy to the United Nations stated Sunday that “the issue can be considered closed.”
John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Sunday that any retaliation to Iran’s attack would be up to Israeli forces. However, he emphasized that President Joe Biden does not want the situation to worsen or bring the United States further into a conflict.
MORE : White House celebrates ‘amazing success’ over Iran’s Israel attack but rejects ‘wider’ conflict
Israeli officials said the country’s Iron Dome defense system withstood a major test from Iran’s attack on Saturday, intercepting 99% of the 300 “threats of various types” directed at it. Iran launches attack on Israel
According to Hagari, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched 170 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), over 120 ballistic missiles, and more than 30 cruise missiles during the attack. Iran launches attack on Israel
Hagari stated that “99% of the threats launched against Israeli territory were intercepted — a very significant strategic achievement.
What is the Iron Dome and how does it work?
Like many modern air defense systems, an Iron Dome battery employs a sophisticated radar system to track inbound missiles, which are then intercepted by Tamir missiles fired from numerous launchers linked to the radar system. Iran launches attack on Israel
Each Iron Dome battery contains three to four launchers capable of carrying up to 20 Tamir interceptor missiles.
The device can shoot down rockets fired from a distance of 2 to 40 kilometers.
Since its inception in 2011, the mobile air defense system has intercepted rockets aimed at Israel with a high success rate.
The IDF has revealed that in May 2023, when Islamic Jihad launched a barrage of rockets against Israel, 95.6% of the system’s Iron Dome interceptors were effective in destroying the rockets. Iran launches attack on Israel
According to the IDF, not every rocket that enters Israeli territory is intercepted. Instead, depending on tracking data, the system launches interceptors only when an incoming rocket threatens a populated region. If the incoming rocket is not assessed to be a threat, it will land in an unpopulated area.
The Iron Dome is often built around cities or small inhabited regions that have previously been targeted by incoming missiles.
