Israel hailed a “success” in thwarting an unprecedented Iranian attack

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TEL AVIV, Israel – Israel on Sunday hailed its successful air defenses against an unprecedented attack by Iran, saying it and its allies intercepted 99 percent of more than 300 drones and missiles launched into its territory. But regional tensions remain high, with the risk of further escalation in the event of a possible Israeli counterstrike.

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday he would convene a meeting of the Group of Seven advanced democracies “to coordinate a unified diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack”. The language signaled the Biden administration's reluctance to escalate an Iranian attack into a wider military conflict.

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Iran launched the attack earlier this month in response to an attack it blamed on Israel on the Iranian consulate in Syria that killed two Iranian generals. Israel reported that Iran had launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles.

On Sunday morning, Iran announced that the attack was over and that Israel had reopened its airspace.

The two foes have been engaged in a shadow war for years, punctuated by events such as the Damascus strike. But Sunday's attack set off air raid sirens across Israel, Iran's first direct military attack on Israel despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.

Over the years, Israel has built — often with the help of the United States — a multi-layered air defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and short-range missiles.

The system, in cooperation with the U.S. and other forces, helped prevent what could have been a more devastating attack when Israel was mired in the war against Hamas in Gaza and was fighting at a low level to its north. It borders with Lebanon's Hezbollah militia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are supported by Iran.

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Israeli and US officials praised the response to the airstrikes.

“Iran made more than 300 threats and 99 percent of them were intercepted,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman. “It's an achievement.” Asked if Israel would respond, Hagari said the country would do what was necessary to protect its citizens.

Hagari said none of the drones or cruise missiles reached Israel, and only a few of the ballistic missiles got through. According to him, 25 of the cruise missiles were shot down by the Israeli Air Force.

Hagari said the Israeli air base suffered minor damage but was still operational. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl was seriously injured by a rocket in southern Israel, but police said they were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a brief message on X, formerly Twitter: “We caught. We blocked. We will win together.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also noted the results and thanked the US and other countries for their assistance.

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Israel reopened its airspace, lifting one of the restrictions it had imposed before the strike, although schools across the country remained closed and traffic was lighter than usual on the first day of Israel's work week as many people stayed home or recovered from a long night. . Neighboring Jordan has also reopened its airspace.

The Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, said the operation was over, the state news agency IRNA reported.

“We have no intention of continuing the operation against Israel,” he said.

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said that Iran had taught Israel a lesson and warned that “any new adventures against the interests of the Iranian people will be met with a heavy and regrettable response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Israel can be particularly proud of the success of its defense, as it stands in stark contrast to the setbacks Hamas endured during its October 7 offensive. repelling marauding militias is a humiliating defeat for the Middle East's strongest and best-equipped army.

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While repelling an Iranian attack will help restore Israel's image, what it does next will be closely watched both in the region and in Western capitals.

In Washington, Biden said US forces had helped Israel shoot down “almost all” of the drones and missiles and vowed to call on allies for a unified response.

Biden, who cut short a weekend at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday afternoon, spoke with Netanyahu later in the day.

“I told him that Israel has demonstrated the ability to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks, which sends a clear message to its enemies that they cannot effectively threaten Israel's security,” Biden said.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US was “not seeking escalation” and would hold talks with allies in the coming days.

The US and its allies have sent direct messages to Tehran to prevent further escalation of the conflict. G7 leaders will hold a video conference Sunday afternoon to discuss Iran's strikes against Israel, according to Italy, which chairs the group of developed countries that includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, and Britain. and Canada.

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Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guards have issued a new threat against the US: “Any support or participation in the terrorist US government's harm to Iran's interests will be met with a decisive and regrettable response by the Iranian armed forces,” said a statement issued by IRNA.

Israel and Iran have clashed throughout Israel's six-month war against Hamas militants in Gaza, sparked by an October 7 attack on Israel. On that day, Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, supported by Iran, killed 1,200 people and kidnapped another 250 in Israel.

According to local health officials, Israel's attack on Gaza has caused widespread destruction and killed more than 33,000 people.

Negotiations for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages appeared to have failed on Sunday. Netanyahu's office announced that Hamas had rejected the latest peace offer presented to Hamas by mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States a week earlier.

A Hamas official said the group would receive a “concrete written commitment” that Israel would withdraw from the Gaza Strip in the second phase of a three-phase ceasefire agreement. The proposed deal calls for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, during which Hamas will release 40 of the more than 100 hostages the group has held in the enclave, in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 100. long sentences for serious crimes.

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Hamas welcomed the Iranian attack, calling it a “natural and appropriate response” to the strike in Syria, and called on Iranian-backed groups in the region to continue supporting Hamas in its war against Israel.

Almost immediately after the war began, Hezbollah began attacking Israel's northern border. While the two sides engage in daily skirmishes, Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have fired missiles and rockets at Israel.

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, Sami Magdi in Cairo, Omar Akur in Amman, Jordan and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.

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