April 14, 2024 - Iran's attack on Israel

Iran’s IRGC leader said a “new equation” was created after its attack on Israel, and that it will now respond directly whenever Israel attacks its interests, assets or people. 

"Honest Promise" was the name given to Iran’s unprecedented attack late on Saturday, which saw drones and missiles launched at Israel over a five-hour period.

The attack marked a dangerous new inflection point in the fast-widening Middle East conflict, bringing the long-running shadow war between the two sides into the open and raising the prospect of full-blown regional conflict.

The US assessed that almost all of the drones and missiles – including more than 100 ballistic missiles – launched by Iran had been knocked out of the sky. No cruise missile made impact and nothing of “value” was hit, according to a senior White House official.

Iraq said it had reopened its airspace after it was temporarily closed overnight amid the attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority confirmed Sunday that this decision follows the successful "mitigation of all risks" that previously affected the safety and security of civil aviation in Iraq.

The airspace closed on Saturday night as a precautionary measure, following a thorough risk assessment conducted by Iraqi authorities.

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on the Israeli government to "learn lessons" and move on to Rafah."

In a post on X, Smotrich said that he had warned that "giving up on Israel's red lines and chasing after Hamas for a deal" would "only decrease" the chance of bringing Israeli hostages held in Gaza back.

"It's time to learn lessons, change direction, move on to Rafah now and restore full Israeli control all over the Gaza Strip," Smotrich added.

Some context: The far-right minister has, in the past, denied the existence of a Palestinian people or nationhood, prompting a rebuke from the United States in March 2023.

More than 1 million Palestinian civilians are estimated to be sheltering in Rafah in southern Gaza, most of them displaced from other parts of the besieged enclave and crammed into a sprawling tent city.

Israel has been threatening an invasion into Rafah for some time now - despite pushback from allies like the US. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had set a date for the action, adding that "entry into Rafah" is necessary for a "complete victory over Hamas."

Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces said Iran sent a message to the United States through the Swiss embassy warning Washington that if it cooperates with Israel in their possible next actions, US bases will "not have any security" and will be "dealt with." 

Bagheri said from Iran's perspective, the military operation against Israel "has concluded." 

However, he emphasized that Iranian armed forces remain on high alert and are prepared to "act if necessary," according to an interview on state IRINN TV on Sunday.

The Zionist regime is an Iranian reference to Israel.

"Israel's actions in the consulate were condemned so a response should have been given," Bagheri added.

Some context: Iranian authorities have made clear this weekend's strikes where retaliation for an April 1 strike by Israel which destroyed an Iranian consulate building in the capital Damascus.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack which Iran said killed multiple officials, including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top Revolutionary Guards commander.

However an Israel Defense Forces spokesman told CNN that their intelligence showed the building was not a consulate and was instead “a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building.”

Reaction to Iran's strikes on Israel has poured in from world leaders, some openly condemning Tehran, others calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and almost all urging restraint during a moment of huge tension in the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden said that the US “is devoted to the defense of Israel.” 

“Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” Biden said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East. “I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East,” Guterres said in a series of tweets on X.

“I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war.” 

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the attacks "demonstrate yet again the Iranian regime’s disregard for peace and stability in the region. We support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from these attacks.”

China expressed “deep concern” over the “current escalation”, according to a spokesperson for its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, adding that it was a “spillover of the Gaza conflict” and a ceasefire should be implemented without delay. Beijing called “on relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint to prevent further escalations.”

India's Foreign Ministry said that it is "seriously concerned" about the escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel. "We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan said the attacks were "the consequences of the breakdown of diplomacy."

"For months, Pakistan has underlined the necessity of international efforts to prevent expansion of hostilities in the region and for a ceasefire in Gaza," read a government statement.

Saudi Arabia, a major regional rival to Iran, stressed the importance of “preventing any further exacerbation” of the crisis, warning of “dire consequences” should the situation worsen.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry called the latest developments a "dangerous escalation". It said the latest hostilities were "nothing but a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about, regarding the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region as a result of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and the provocative military actions being exercised in the region.”

Qatar, which plays a vital role in many Middle East conflicts and enjoys close economic relations with Iran, expressed “profound concern” and called on all parties to "cease escalation, calm tensions, and exercise maximum restraint."

The United Arab Emirates, which is geographically close to Iran and normalized relations with Israel in 2020, called for an end to regional escalation to avoid “dangerous repercussions” and warned of “new levels of instability."

Russia, which has been waging a brutal war on Ukraine for over two years, called on all parties "to exercise restraint." "We express our utmost concern about another dangerous escalation in the region," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday. 

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned Iran's attack, calling it "unacceptable" and "irresponsible."

"It is extremely important to make every effort to prevent the confrontation from escalating into a large-scale regional conflict," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said, adding that the attack "demonstrates the importance of mobilizing all the power of the free world to defend the global boundaries of democracy." 

In a statement on X, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK would “continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all of its regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq.

Ireland, whose leader has been a vocal critic of Israel's war in Gaza, called on both Iran and Israel to "show restraint" and "avoid any escalation" following a "reckless attack" by Iran. 

Adding to this were also statements from leaders in European countries like Germany, Denmark, France, Norway and Austria.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attacks “blatant and unjustifiable.” “All actors must now refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region,” Von der Leyen said. 

Israel is "working closely" with the US, UK and France, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, adding that all three "acted tonight" during the Iranian strikes.

"We are working closely with the US, UK and France who acted tonight. This partnership has always been close, but tonight it manifested itself in an unusual way," Hagari said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken "will be consulting with allies and partners in the region and around the world in the hours and days ahead" following the Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel, he said in a statement dated Sunday.

"The United States condemns Iran’s attack on Israel in the strongest terms," Blinken said. "While we do not seek escalation, we will continue to support Israel’s defense, and as the President made clear, we will defend US personnel."

The Israeli military said Sunday that “99%” of the more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel by Iran were intercepted.

Only “a small number” of ballistic missiles reached the country's territory, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel by Iran, he said, the vast majority intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and Israeli “partners.”

The ballistic missiles that did reach Israel fell on the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, Hagari said, adding that they caused only light structural damage. The base was functioning and continuing its operations following the attack, with planes continuing to use the base, he added.

Remember: US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that his country should consider tonight a win because the current US assessment is that Iran’s attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s superior military capability, a senior administration official told CNN.

US forces were also involved in defending Israel, intercepting more than 70 one-way attack drones and at least three ballistic missiles, according to two US officials familiar with the situation.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made his first public statement after Iran's attack, vowing to the country's people that "together we shall win."

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Netanyahu said: “We have intercepted, we have contained. Together we shall win.”