News of the World

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MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL EDITION

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Iran Launches Attack Against Israel with Long-range Drones

Iran launched drones against Israel on Saturday that are en route, though they may take hours to arrive, according to Israeli media sources.

Barak Ravid of Axios and Walla reported the attack:

The attack is supposedly in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on April 1 that eliminated seven senior Iranian military officials, including two generals, in Damascus, Syria. Iran has been using its terrorist proxies to attack Israel for decades, and accelerated those attacks after the Hamas invasion of October 7.

In anticipation of the attack, Israel’s Home Front Command canceled school for the next two days, and ordered demonstrations in favor of the hostages still in Gaza — a Saturday night tradition in much of the country — to disperse. Other large gatherings were also banned.

A military briefing scheduled with Breitbart News for Sunday morning was also abruptly canceled due to the ongoing attack.

It is not clear whether Israel’s aerial defense system will be able to manage the drone attack, and whether Israel will — as promised — attack Iranian territory in response.

Fighter jets were heard overhead in the northern Galilee on Saturday evening.

The drone attack could mark a dramatic escalation in a conflict that has been fueled for three-and-a-half decades by Iranian radicalism against the West.

Update: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement:

Citizens of Israel,

In recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran.

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.

We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries.

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.

Citizens of Israel, I know that you also are also level-headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command.

Together we will stand and with G-d’s help – together we will overcome all of our enemies.

More on Iran's Attack

Iran Launched More than 200 Drones, Cruise Missiles at Israel; ‘Majority’ Intercepted

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday morning local time that it had intercepted the “majority” of the “dozens” of drones and cruise missiles that Iran had launched against Israel, though a few hit targets, including an IDF base.

In a statement, the IDF said:

Dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, together with Israel’s strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure.

Many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, were identified approaching Israeli territory from Iran and intercepted over the past few hours. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory.

The IDF is deployed on all fronts, prepared, and continuing to defend Israeli territory.

In tota, IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that Iran had launched over 200 hostile aircraft.

Israelis were told to stay near the “safe rooms” — rooms with reinforced walls and doors — in their homes overnight. The order from Home Front Command was lifted before dawn Sunday morning, a sign that Israel believes the Iranian attack to be over. Booms continued to be heard over northern Israel.

The country was filled overnight with the sound of air raid sirens, and aircraft scrambling overhead, as well as the sound of explosions, as missile defense systems hit their targets. One injury was reported to a Bedouin Arab child in the Negev desert, hit by shrapnel.

Residents of the interior portions of Israel — including Jerusalem — heard air raid sirens and saw missile defense systems flashing overhead.

Iranian Missiles Intercepted over Islamic Holy Site Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

Israel intercepted missiles over one of Islam’s holiest sites, the Dome of the Rock, during the attack launched by the Iranian regime this weekend.

Video captured several missiles being intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome in the sky above the Dome of the Rock, one of the world’s oldest surviving works of Islamic architecture and a sacred shrine to Muslims. Take a look:

As Breitbart News reported, Iran launched a massive drone strike against Northern Israel, most of which was intercepted by Israel’s defense systems. They launched over 200 drones and cruise missiles. The report said:

The attack is supposedly in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on April 1 that eliminated seven senior Iranian military officials, including two generals, in Damascus, Syria. Iran has been using its terrorist proxies to attack Israel for decades, and accelerated those attacks after the Hamas invasion of October 7.

“In anticipation of the attack, Israel’s Home Front Command canceled school for the next two days and ordered demonstrations in favor of the hostages still in Gaza — a Saturday night tradition in much of the country — to disperse. Other large gatherings were also banned,” it added.

Crowds in Iran Celebrate Missile, Drone Attacks Against Israel

Crowds of pro-regime demonstrators poured into the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital, overnight Saturday into Sunday as Iran launched more than 200 drones and cruise missiles against Israel.
The Hindustan Times reported:

Iranians have flooded the streets in large numbers to celebrate Iran’s attack on Israel. Numerous videos and posts circulating online depict a large gathering and rally of Iranian citizens at Palestine Square in Tehran, marking the move with jubilation. The attack, launched by Iran and its proxies, involved hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets targeting the Jewish state from all sides.
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On Saturday night, pictures and videos of Iranians celebrating in Teheran went viral. Video clips reportedly showing Palestinians celebrating in the al-Aqsa mosque in response to reports of Iran’s rocket and drone attack also surfaced online. This large-scale attack highlights the huge population gap between the two long-time rivals. Israel has a population of less than 8 million people, while Iran has an estimated population of more than 89 million people, more than 10 times the size of Israel.

Iran has refrained from attacking Israel directly, using proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias. But the celebrations may be short-lived.

Israel has said that it would attack Iran directly in response to an attack that originates on Iranian soil.

Iran Says Retaliation ‘Can Be Deemed Concluded,’ U.S. ‘MUST STAY AWAY’

Iran’s mission to the United Nations released a statement about the attack on Israel on Saturday evening, saying that Iran’s retaliation “can be deemed concluded,” unless Israel or the United States escalates further.

“Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the U.N. Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,” the Iranian mission said.

“The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” the statement continued.

“It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!” the Iranian mission concluded, with capitalization in the original.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, said on Saturday that it attacked Israel with a swarm of drones and missiles in retaliation for “numerous crimes of the Zionist regime including the strike on the consulate section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus and martyrdom of a number of military commanders and advisers in Syria.”

The Iranians were referring to an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 that killed the commander of the IRGC’s foreign operations unit, the Qods Force, in Lebanon and Syria, along with several other high-ranking IRGC officers. Israel has not formally taken responsibility for the Damascus strike.

Article 51 of the U.N. Charter discusses the right of member states to defend themselves against attack, although such action is supposed to be coordinated with the U.N. Security Council.

‘Crossed a New Level’ — International Community Condemns Iran for ‘Reckless’ Strikes on Israel

World leaders were quick to condemn the “reckless” attacks on Israel by the Islamist regime in Iran, which they said “crossed a new line” in launching dozens of drone and missile strikes against the Jewish state on Saturday.

The international community, including leaders in Britain and the European Union, swiftly condemned the strikes on Israel by the Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which marked a dramatic escalation in the conflict between Tehran and Jerusalem from previous attacks carried out by Iran’s terrorist proxies in the region to direct strikes.

Responding to the Iranian attack on Israel, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the UK condemns “in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel”.

Sunak warned that the attacks “risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region” and that “Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.”

“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq,” the British leader continued. “Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.”

Meanwhile, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said that it has moved “several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region” and said that any RAF jets stationed in the Middle East “will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required”.

“In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks,” the MoD said.

The top diplomats in France, Germany and Italy have also expressed condemnations on behalf of their governments. French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said that Pairs “condemns” the attack, which he said had “crossed a new level” of destabilisation. “France reaffirms its attachment to the security of Israel and assures it of its solidarity,” he added.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: “We strongly condemn the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos. Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately. Israel offers our full solidarity at this time.”

Deputy Italian Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, who also serves as the nation’s foreign minister, said that Rome is monitoring the situation “with attention and concern”. Tajani said that he has spoken with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and relayed that the government is “ready to manage any type of scenario.”

Leaders in the European Union also expressed outrage over Iran’s strikes on Israel, with the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell saying: “The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel. This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security.”

European Council President Charles Michel wrote on social media: “Strongly condemn the attack launched by Iran on Israel. Everything must be done to prevent further regional escalation. More bloodshed must be avoided. We will continue to follow the situation closely with our partners.”

Donald Trump: Israel Attack ‘Would Never Have Happened’ Under My Presidency

Former President Donald Trump issued a statement in support of Israel after Iran launched long-range drones at Israel on Saturday.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that the attack on Israel “would NEVER have happened” if he were president.

“ISRAEL IS UNDER ATTACK! This should never have been allowed to happen – This would NEVER have happened if I were President!” Trump wrote.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump...3797003144

Trump’s statement comes just before he is set to speak at a rally in Schnecksville, PA.

Iran’s attack on Israel is reportedly in retaliation after Israel launched an airstrike on April 1, which reportedly left seven senior Iranian military officials dead in Damascus, Syria, and destroyed the consular section of the Iranian embassy.

The attack on Israel comes after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, leaving roughly 1,200 people dead and more than 200 people taken as hostages.

Iran Attacks Israel One Day After Biden Says ‘Don’t’

Iran on Friday launched an attack on Israel a day after President Joe Biden warned Tehran not to.

“Don’t,” Biden had told reporters after he was asked Thursday what his message to Iran was, after it had threatened to attack Israel in response to a suspected recent Israeli strike against seven members of the Iranian military, including two generals in Syria.

“We are devoted to the defense of Israel,” he added. “We will support Israel. We will defend — help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.”

Biden was planning on spending the weekend in Rehoboth Beach but returned earlier in the day and was slated to meet with his national security team in the Situation Room.

There were reports that he would address the nation from the Oval Office, but the White House then called a lid at 5:13 p.m. ET, according to the White House press pool.

Critics slammed Biden for weakness on Iran. Cliff Sims, a former senior Trump administration official, posted on X: “Biden reversed all the Trump policies that made Iran weaker and poorer. Now they’re spending all the money Biden gave them attacking Israel, terrorizing the world and threatening to plunge us into WWIII.”

Morgan Ortagus, former Trump State Department press secretary, said in a post: “Reminder: “Biden allowed the UN sanctions on Iran’s drones and ballistic missiles to expire less than six months ago. The very same drones and missiles en route to Israel right now.”

Giuliani: Reagan Would Have Hit Iran Before the First Missile Got to Israel

Saturday on Newsmax2, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani argued the correct response to Iran’s attack on Israel would have been to hit Iran at the earliest stages of the strike as possible.

Giuliani argued that was what former President Ronald Reagan would have done if he were facing similar circumstances.

“I really do think we’re missing an opportunity, a historic opportunity here — if we had a president like my old boss in the White House,” he said. “Every time [when] I was mayor and I had to make a difficult decision, I would say, ‘What would Ronald Reagan do?’ I know what Ronald Reagan would do right now. He would have hit Iran before their first missile got to Israel. And he would have taken out every nuclear facility he could. He would have been trying to look for an opportunity to do that for years.”

“Now, we take out their nuclear facilities, here’s what the traitors who run our government would say — they’ll say, ‘Oh, they’ll just build it back up again.’ That will take them 10 years to do. Also, if you really know what is going on inside Iran, if we were to hit them before they hit us, it would destroy them. They obviously are a frightened enemy. You wouldn’t do an attack like this unless you were timid. The best thing to do with a frightened enemy is knock them out. The best defense is a bold offense. This is our opportunity to end the reign of terror that we should have been looking for.”

Joni Ernst: ‘Unprecedented’ Direct Attack on Israel Raises Questions About Iran Nuclear Capabilities

Saturday, during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s continuing coverage of Iran’s attack on Israel, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said Iran’s direct strike on Israel now raises questions about Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The Iowa Republican suggested the strike could have a chilling effect on Israel and its people.

“[T]his is unprecedented for Iran not to utilize those proxies but to strike directly against Israel and to engage with ballistic missiles,” she said. “The thoughts that I have heard coming from other colleagues, people within the space makes you wonder how close are they also to having those nuclear capabilities? They want Israelis to exist in fear, wondering what that next step will be.”

“But again, it is unprecedented what Iran has done, and we have got to assist the Israelis in any way possible to push back against this threat,” Ernst added. “Now, we do see Saudi Arabia stepping up. We see Jordan stepping up. We want to thank those Arab nations that are friends to Israel, engaged through the Abraham Accords and other partnerships. This is part of the DEFEND Act, which is bipartisan. I led that effort in the Senate many years ago. But to tie all of these nations together in an air defense mechanism so that they could protect against Iran. We see the successes when America chooses to lead. And this is what we need at this moment — is American leadership that will step forward and support Israel.”