Iran launched dozens of drones at Israel on Saturday but as of last night were expected to take hours to reach their targets, Israel’s military said.
The attack according to reports by Reuters may trigger a major escalation between the regional archenemies, with the U.S. pledging to back Israel
Two security sources in Iraq said dozens of drones had been spotted flying from Iran toward Israel over Iraqi airspace in what Iranian Press TV called “extensive drone strikes” by the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran has vowed retaliation for what it called an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven Revolutionary Guards officers including two senior commanders. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.
U.S. President Joe Biden, who on Friday warned Iran against attacking Israel after saying such a scenario appeared imminent, has pledged to stand with Israel against Iran, the White House said.
A retired Israeli general, Amos Yadlin, told the country’s Channel 12 news that the Iranian drones were equipped with 20 kg (44 pounds) of explosives each.
Israel’s military said sirens would sound in any threatened areas and that its defences were poised to deal with them.
Israel and neighbouring Jordan, which lies between Iraq and Israel, said they were closing their airspace on Saturday night.
The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh month, has driven up tensions in the region, spreading to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawing long-range fire at Israeli targets from as far away as Yemen and Iraq.