Iran launched a drone attack against Israel on Saturday April 13 “from its territory,” Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a televised address shortly after 11 p.m. An assertion confirmed shortly after by Tehran. “In response to the numerous crimes committed by the Zionist regime, including the attack on the consular section of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus and the martyrdom of a group of our country’s military commanders and advisors in Syria “, the Air Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force fired dozens of missiles and drones at specific targets inside the occupied territories,” state television said in citing Guardian PR.
In the minutes following the start of the operation, the X account of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reposted a message saying: “the evil regime will be punished.”
A “serious and dangerous escalation”
“We are working closely with the United States and our partners in the region to act against (drone) launches and to intercept them,” said Rear Admiral Hagari, describing this Iranian attack as a “serious and dangerous escalation”. According to an Israeli military official, Iran has launched more than 100 drones towards Israel and other “waves of drones” could follow.
A few moments earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured during a televised address that the Jewish state was prepared for “the possibility of a direct attack from Iran” and “ready to face any scenario, both in terms of defense and attack. The Israeli authorities have announced that they are closing the country’s airspace to “international aviation”.
Egyptian air defenses ‘on high alert’
Jordan, Israel’s neighbor, announced the temporary closure of its airspace, citing “a dangerous situation in the Middle East”. Iraq, which borders Iran, has also closed its airspace. Just like Lebanon.
© / Cartography legends
“Egyptian air defenses are on maximum alert,” Egyptian media close to intelligence Al-Qahera News said on Saturday, citing a high-level security source. “A crisis unit (…) is closely monitoring developments in the situation and submitting its reports to President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi hour by hour,” according to the channel.