2024 Iranian strikes against Israel
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On 13 April 2024, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, in collaboration with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq,[3] Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and the Ansar Allah (Houthis), launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights[note 2] with loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.[13] The attack was codenamed by Iran as Operation True Promise (Persian: وعده صادق, romanized: va'de-ye sādeq).[14][15] Iran said it was retaliation for the Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus on 1 April,[16] which killed two Iranian generals.[17] The strike was seen as a spillover of the Israel–Hamas war and marked Iran's first direct attack on Israel since the start of their proxy conflict.[18]
Operation True Promise | |
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2024 Iranian strikes against Israel Part of the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict, Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war, and spillover of the Israel–Hamas war | |
Type | Missile strike, loitering munitions strike |
Locations | |
Commanded by | |
Objective | Damaging or destroying Israeli military facilities used in the Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, in reprisal for that attack |
Date | 13–14 April 2024[2] |
Executed by | |
Outcome | Per Israel:
Per Iran:
Per US
|
Casualties | 1 Israeli civilian critically injured by shrapnel;[7] 31 others treated for minor injuries or anxiety[8][9][10] |
Iron Shield | |
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Defence from the 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel | |
Type | Air defence operation, missile defence operation |
Locations | |
Commanded by | |
Target | Incoming Iranian missiles and suicide drones |
Executed by |
|
Outcome | Weapons intercepted:
|
Several countries in the Middle East[note 3] closed their airspace a few hours before Iran launched a standoff attack against Israel around midnight on 13 April. Iran's attack sent around 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles toward Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.[note 2] The Israel Defense Forces used Arrow 3 and David's Sling systems to shoot down many of the incoming weapons.[19][20] American, British, French, and Jordanian air forces also shot some down.[21][22][23] France, which intervened at Jordan's request,[24] deployed warships to provide radar coverage. Jordan said it had intercepted objects flying into its airspace to protect its citizens.[25]
Israel said that the coalition, whose defensive efforts were codenamed Iron Shield,[26] destroyed 99 percent of the incoming weapons,[27][28][29] most before they reached Israeli airspace.[30] A U.S. official said that at least nine Iranian missiles had struck two Israeli airbases, causing minor damage.[5] Some of the ballistic missiles were shot down in space by the Arrow system.[31] The missiles caused minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which remained operational.[32][33][34] In Israel, a 7-year-old Israeli Bedouin girl was struck and injured by part of a missile, and 31 other people either suffered minor injuries while rushing to shelters or were treated for anxiety. Jordan reported some shrapnel falling on its territory, causing little damage or injuries.[32][33] The next day, Iran's envoy to the United Nations stated that the attacks "can be deemed concluded".[35]
The attack was the largest attempted drone strike in history,[36][37] intended to overwhelm anti-aircraft defenses. It was the first time since Iraq's 1991 missile strikes that Israel was directly attacked by the military of another state.[38] Iran's attacks drew criticism from the United Nations, several world leaders, and political analysts, who warned that they risk escalating into a full-blown regional war.[39][40][41][42] Israel retaliated by executing limited strikes on Iran on 18 April 2024.[43]