By Jerome Taylor, Heather Chen, James Legge, Sophie Tanno, Emma Tucker, Kaanita Iyer, Paul LeBlanc, Catherine Nicholls, Maureen Chowdhury, Antoinette Radford and Eve Rothenberg, CNN
From CNN's Philip Wang
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday spoke with his counterparts in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia following Iran's attacks in Israel, according to readouts from the State Department.
During his phone calls, Blinken emphasized the importance of avoiding escalation in the region and the importance of "a coordinated diplomatic response."
In his conversation with Jordan and Egypt, Blinken also underlined the significance of achieving an "enduring end to the crisis in Gaza."
From CNN’s Abel Alvarado
The United States warned Iran against taking any action against the US or Israel during the UN Security Council emergency session over Iran’s attack on Israel.
“Let me be clear, if Iran or its proxies take actions against the US or further action against Israel, Iran will be held responsible,” US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said Sunday.
The United States is “not seeking escalation, our actions have been purely defensive in nature,” adding that the “best way to prevent such escalation is an unambiguous condemnation of the council of Iran’s unprecedented large-scale attack,” he said.
The envoy reiterated US support for Israel and condemned Iran’s attack. “Iran’s intent was to cause significant damage and death in Israel,” Wood said.
Wood also said the UN Security Council had an “obligation to not let Iran’s actions go unanswered.”
“For far too long, Iran has flagrantly violated its international legal obligations,” he said before listing occasions Iran has violated UN Security Council resolutions and international law.
Wood accused Iran of being in a “broad sense complicit” of the October 7 attack on Israel by providing “significant funding and training for the military wing of Hamas.”
He added the US will explore "additional measures to hold Iran accountable here in the UN.”
From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez
The US Department of Homeland Security has not identified any “specific or credible threats” to the US since Iran’s attack on Israel and is working with partners to evaluate the threat environment, a US official told CNN.
Earlier this month, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that there’s been a heightened threat environment amid the conflict in the Middle East.
“I will say what we are dealing with, with respect to the conflict in the Middle East, is expressions of hate and threats and violence connected there to on both sides of the debate. And we have a heightened threat environment that we continue to be in as a result of that conflict,” he said.
A Homeland Security spokesperson said Sunday that the federal agency is continuing to monitor the situation and urging the public to remain vigilant.
From Mohammad Al-Sawalhi in Gaza and CNN’s Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem
As chaos ensued after thousands of Palestinians were turned away from returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Sunday, a 5-year-old girl was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers, her mother said.
Video shows a man carrying a 5-year-old girl named Sally Abu Laila, who was bleeding from her head, with people crowding around her in panic trying to cover her wound.
Her mother Sabreen told CNN her daughter was in her arms when Israeli soldiers shot at her. Sabreen, alongside her four children, was trying to cross through the checkpoint, when two young men squeezed in between her and other women waiting in line, prompting Israeli soldiers to fire at them.
“I tried to put my daughter on the ground to walk, but she couldn’t move. I saw my hands covered in blood. I called on her, ‘Sally! Sally! Sally!’, but she didn’t answer” Sabreen said.
Eventually, she said she managed to get to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital where her daughter is undergoing treatment. She told CNN she is still in intensive care. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment on reports that its soldiers fired shots at civilians trying to head up north, but has not received a response.
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said reports that people could return to their homes in northern Gaza were false. “The northern Gaza Strip continues to be an active war zone and return to the area is not currently permitted,” IDF said.
Read more about what happened to thousands of Palestinians as they attempted to return home here.
From CNN's MJ Lee, Kevin Liptak and Priscilla Alvarez
A senior US military official said the United States assessed there was "no significant damage within Israel itself" after Iran's missile and drone barrage.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari appeared to echo the assessment on Sunday, saying that out of hundreds of rockets launched from Iran, only a few penetrated Israel, causing minor damage to the infrastructure at Nevatim airbase near the runway and to a road in the Hermon region.
Nevatim remained fully functional, and planes continued take-off and landing to fulfill their missions.
US President Joe Biden told the Israeli prime minister in his phone call Sunday that he should consider Saturday a win because Iran’s attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s superior military capability, a senior administration official said.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said Sunday the ability to prevent widespread damage was a demonstration of Israel’s “military superiority” and proof that Iran was not the “military power that they claim to be.”
“This was an incredible success, really proving Israel’s military superiority and just as critically, their diplomatic superiority, that they have friends in the region, that they have around the world that are willing to help them,” Kirby told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
Read more about what US officials said here.
From CNN’s Abel Alvarado
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a de-escalation of violence on Sunday after Iran’s attack on Israel.
“Now is the time for maximum restraint,” Guterres said during the emergency session requested by the Permanent Representative of Israel after the attack.
“The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict,” he said. “Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.
“It’s time to step back from the brink. It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East,” Guterres stated.
Guterres said the UN and member countries have a “shared responsibility” to engage “all parties concerned to prevent further escalation.”
He also called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. “Neither the region nor the world can afford more war,” he said.
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
Israel is not seeking war after Iran's attack and "balance is needed in this situation," Israeli President Isaac Herzog told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking with many world leaders and there is "intimate dialogue with allies" in response to Iran's actions, he said.
"We're considering it all. We're acting cool-headedly and lucidly," Herzog said. "I think we're operating in a very focused way and very responsible way and I'm sure there will be a decision accordingly that will make sure that we protect and defend the people of Israel."
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali and Jomana Karadsheh
Jordan summoned Iran's ambassador in Amman on Sunday after it intercepted Iranian drones over the country.
“We will intercept every drone or missile that violates Jordan’s airspace to avert any danger. Anything posing a threat to Jordan and the security of Jordanians, we will confront it with all our capabilities and resources,” Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said during an interview on the Al-Mamlaka news channel.
He emphasized that Jordan’s response would be the same whether the threat originated from Iran or Israel. “There was an assessment that there was a real danger of Iranian drones and rockets falling on Jordan, and the armed forces dealt with this threat,” Safadi said.
The recent escalation involving Iranian forces against Israel has heightened regional tensions, with Safadi noting that the continuation of the conflict in Gaza could lead to further destabilization. He criticized attempts to shift the focus from Gaza to broader regional conflicts, suggesting that some parties might be using the situation to provoke further confrontation.
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef and Abel Alvarado
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Sunday to provide a brief on the “preliminary conclusions” of the Israel military's “defensive operations” after Iran’s attack.
Gallant expressed his “deep appreciation” towards Austin for his “leadership, and the unparalleled cooperation and coordination demonstrated by the defense establishments and militaries of both countries, together with international partners.”
According to a statement by Israel’s government, Gallant “highlighted the opportunity to establish an international coalition and strategic alliance to counter the threat posed by Iran – a state that threatens to place nuclear warheads on its missiles.”
The statement added that Israel’s defense “remains alert and prepared to face additional threats, including ongoing operations in Gaza, and efforts to release the hostages held by Hamas.”
Earlier, the United States said Austin asked Gallant to notify the US ahead of any potential response to the Iranian attack, according to another US official.
