Iran initiated attacks on Israel on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces, intensifying long-standing tensions between the two countries and raising the prospect of a regional war.
“Iran launched unmanned aircrafts from its territory towards the territory of the State of Israel,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Saturday. “We are monitoring the threat in the airspace. It is a threat that takes several hours to reach the territory of the State of Israel.”
Hagari also stated that Israel will act “in close coordination” with the United States and regional partners to intercept the launches.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have risen since the start of the Gaza conflict in October, particularly in recent weeks after Iran accused Israel of attacking its embassy in Damascus on April 1.
Iranian leaders, notably Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised to revenge against Israel for the Damascus hit, while Israel threatened a response. Israel has not confirmed or denied its role in the Damascus strike.
“If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack Iran,” Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz wrote in a Wednesday post on X, tagging the Ayatollah’s X account.
Given Iran’s numerous warnings, the White House anticipated an Iranian strike and has been coordinating with Israel to ensure they were prepared to protect themselves.
Ahead of the attacks on Saturday, President Joe Biden was on his way back to the White House earlier than planned to meet with his national security team, which included Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, amid the mounting threat of an Iranian strike.
Earlier Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard captured a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship with ties to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route. The White House quickly condemned the move.
“Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a post on X.
