In retaliation for an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Iran used hundreds of drones and missiles to target Israel directly on April 14, setting some significant military and political milestones.
The operation, named “True Promise” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), aims to show Tehran’s senior leaders that Iran will carry out its promises of “punishment” for strikes by Israel and other parties. It was the single largest drone attack ever carried out by any country, and it was the first time Iran directly attacked Israel after almost a half-century of escalating hostility and proxy-wars between the two countries..
The attack was in response to the April 1 Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed seven IRGC members, including two generals in charge of leading operations in Syria and Lebanon, along with six other people. The wave of drones and missiles that flew towards Israel overnight on Sunday brought with it a new phase of tension, uncertainty, and confrontation in the Middle East.
The massive attack that took place overnight involved the firing of approximately 300 projectiles against Israel, including over 120 ballistic missiles and about 170 drones. However, 99 percent of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel’s aerial defense systems and its allies, according to the Israeli military, with only a small number reaching Israeli territory.
US ships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea destroyed between four and six Iranian ballistic missiles during the attack and aircraft in the region shot down more than 70 Iranian one-way UAVs headed toward Israel. The US Army Patriot missile battery shot down a ballistic missile in the vicinity of Erbil, Iraq, the official said.
Jordan, located between Israel and Iran, had prepared its air defenses to prevent any drone or missile invasions. Jordan claimed to have intercepted some flying objects that had entered its airspace last night in order to protect its citizens.
The bombings coincide with the continuing Israeli bombardment on Gaza, which, despite multiple attempts at negotiation, shows no signs of easing. In the meantime, following Iran’s strikes, international airlines have also been modifying their routes and canceling flights.
In conclusion, Iran launched the historic strike in retaliation for an Israeli strike earlier this month on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. It opened a new chapter in the long-simmering tension between the two countries that has gotten worse ever since Israel began war on Gaza last October .
