Iran launched drones toward Israel, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said they were following the threat in their airspace and added that the threat will take several hours to arrive in Israel. GPS will not be available in certain areas as part of preparations, Hagari said.
“If we discover specific threats that have a shorter arrival time, we will update you immediately,” Hagari said. “We ask you to be vigilant and follow the directions of Home Front Command. We understand these threats and have dealt with them in the past.”
CNN political and global affairs analyst Barak Ravid also said Iran had launched the attack using dozens of drones, citing four US and Israeli officials.
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In similar news, a US official has confirmed that Iran has indeed launched drones against Israel, shortly after an announcement from Israel Defense Forces.
An Israeli official also confirmed Iran has launched dozens of drones.
“Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday that Israel had been preparing for an attack from Iran.
“In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran,” he said.
“Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong,” he said.
Netanyahu thanked the US, Britain, France, and its other allies for “standing alongside Israel.”
“We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination,” his statement said.
Biden will meet with national security leaders in the Situation Room, White House says
On matters relating to the drone strikes, US President Joe Biden will meet with National Security Council officials in the White House Situation Room upon his return from Rehoboth, Delaware, according to a statement from the White House.
The president was also briefed about the situation in the Middle East earlier by national security adviser Jake Sullivan and principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, the White House said.
The White House added that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown will be among those in the Situation Room, along with Sullivan and Finer.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden’s Chief of Staff Jeff Zients “will attend by secure video,” the White House said.
Iranian state media confirmed that retaliatory drone strikes have been launched against targets in Israel.
According to Iran’s Press TV, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has launched extensive drone strikes against targets in occupied territories.”
Iranian state media says retaliatory strikes launched at Israel
Iranian state media confirmed that retaliatory drone strikes have been launched against targets in Israel.
According to Iran’s Press TV, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “has launched extensive drone strikes against targets in occupied territories,” a term Iran uses to describe Israel.
An IRGC statement was also read on Iranian state TV.
“In response to the Zionist regime’s crime in attacking the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, the IRGC’s air force hit certain targets in the territories of the Zionist regime with dozens of drones and missiles,” the statement said.