ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel said on Sunday that Iran’s unprecedented overnight attack consisting of hundreds of drones and missiles was “foiled” and that the vast majority of them were intercepted by Israeli forces and their allies, including the US. Tehran warned of a significant response if Israel retaliates.
Iran launched a massive aerial assault consisting of drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles towards Israel in the late hours of Saturday night, marking the culmination of repeated threats over the past two weeks by Tehran to retaliate for an attack on its embassy in Damascus. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack though it did not claim responsibility.
“The Iranian attack was foiled,” Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a briefing on Sunday morning.
More than 300 projectiles were fired at Israeli territory from Iran, as well as some from Iraq and Yemen, Hagari said, adding that “99 percent” of them were intercepted outside of Israel. He added that none of the cruise missiles and drones entered Israeli territory but that “only a few” ballistic missiles had reached the country.
One of the ballistic missiles “lightly hit the Nevatim base,” he stated, adding that the military base was still operational. Hagari added that a 10-year-old girl had been severely injured by shrapnel but that no other casualties had been caused.
“We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on X.
The military spokesperson added that options for an Israeli response were currently being discussed.
"Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.
“The campaign is not over yet - we must remain alert,” Gallant added.
Chief of Staff of Iran's armed forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on Sunday that the operation, dubbed True Promise, had concluded but that Tehran remained vigilant in the event of an Israeli response.
“If the Zionist regime response, the next operation will be much bigger,” Bagheri said while referring to Israel, as cited by Iran’s state-run IRNA.
Bagheri warned the US against cooperation with Israel in response to Washington countering the Iranian projectiles.
“We sent a message to America through the Swiss Embassy that if it cooperates with Israel in their possible next actions, their bases will not have any security and we will deal with that as well,” he stated.
With Iran warning against further action by Israel, voices in the far-right Israeli camp are seeking escalation.
“Impressive defense so far – now we need a crushing attack,” Itamar Ben-Gvir, the country’s far-right National Security Minister said on X.
Ties between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu had reportedly deteriorated with the former facing mounting pressure for supporting Israel’s war on Gaza which has caused over 33,000 civilian casualties, according to the Palestinian health ministry. However, Iran’s attack has reinforced the close friendship between the two countries, with Washington emphasizing its “ironclad” support for Israel.
Despite this, US news outlet Axios reported that Biden had informed Netanyahu during Saturday’s phone call that Washington would not support an Israeli counterattack against Iran.
The United States condemns Iran’s attack on Israel. As the President said, our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran is ironclad.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 14, 2024
"Iran - and its proxies operating out of Yemen, Syria, and Iraq - launched an unprecedented air attack against military facilities in israel. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday.
The US president added that he would convene the G7 countries to coordinate a diplomatic response to Iran’s “brazen attack.”
Fears within Kurdistan Region, Iraq of being dragged into conflict
Seven members of the IRGC, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the Quds Force (IRGC-QF) head in Syria and Lebanon, were killed in the strike which hit the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1. The Middle East has been on the verge of an all-out conflict numerous times since Israel launched its war on Gaza in response to a large-scale Hamas incursion on its territory on October 7, but the Iranian embassy attack raised the stakes even higher.
In the wake of the war in Gaza, Iran-backed militia groups launched hundreds of attacks targeting US bases in Iraq and Syria over Washington’s support of Israel. Proxy attacks on American bases have, however, stopped since US carried out retaliatory attacks on these groups in February.
Washington’s unwavering support for Israel as well as its attacks on militia groups sparked renewed discussions about the future of the US coalition in Iraq, with hardline pro-Iran politicians calling for their expulsion. The US and Iraq have begun discussions about winding down the presence of American troops, culminating in a trip to Washington by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani where he is set to meet with Biden on Monday.
Sudani left for the US only several hours before Iran launched its attack on Israel, leading to the temporary closure of Iraqi airspace. The attack is likely to be a part of the prime minister’s discussions with US officials.
Several Iranian drones and missiles were spotted in the skies of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq on early Sunday, causing concern among locals.
“We were awoken by the loud sound. A large fire rose from it [the missile] when it collapsed… but it did not explode,” a resident of Soran’s Korek village told Rudaw’s Mustafa Goran. Loud explosive sounds were heard across several parts of the Kurdistan Region.
Sirens were also sounded at the US Consulate General in Erbil where residents reported hearing several loud bangs. Drones were also intercepted over the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.
Besides state media announcing the closure of Iraqi airspace and its subsequent reopening on Sunday morning, there have been no official remarks by neither Iraqi nor Kurdish officials on Iran’s attack, indicating the difficult position they are in where they seek to maintain the fragile balance of relations with both Tehran and Washington.
When Iran had sought to retaliate in the past, it often targeted sites in the Kurdistan Region that it claimed were linked to Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
Most recently, four people were killed in an Iranian missile attack on the Erbil home of a prominent Kurdish businessman in January, despite officials denying his ties to Israel. Many in the Kurdistan Region fear their land would once again become the theater of settling scores between regional powers.