Israel is being attacked from all sides as Iran and its proxies launched hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles and rockets at the Jewish state.
It is Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, and photos emerged Saturday night of Iranians celebrating in Tehran.
U.S. officials anticipate Iran will launch approximately 500 drones and missiles from within the Islamic Republic — as well as from proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, ABC News reports.
The drones have already entered Syrian and Jordanian airspace, according to the Fars News Agency, adding “the missile attack will begin soon.”
In response, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced restrictions on civilian activities.
The Times of Israel reports the guidelines prohibit educational activities and bans gatherings over 1,000 people.
Stricter restrictions have been imposed in areas that abut Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reports Hezbollah has also fired dozens of rockets towards Israel.
Israeli officials said they believe the attacks were aimed primarily at Israeli military targets.
The overwhelming attack also differentiates the massive size difference between the longtime enemies. While Israel has more than 8 million people, the population of Iran is believed to be over 89 million — more than 10 times.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement after the drones were launched, declaring, “The malicious Zionist regime will be punished.”
Unverified videos posted to Telegram, and shared online showed a swarm of buzzing Iranian drones — which are known to make a “lawnmower sound” — flying over Iraq.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, saying the country was preparing for a direct attack, and will respond accordingly.
“Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and even more so in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran,” Netanyahu said.
“Our defense systems are deployed, and we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and offense. The State of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, the public is strong.”
Footage showing the drones and missiles crossing the night sky has been shared online.
President Joe Biden rushed back to the White House on Saturday evening from his weekend beach getaway in Delaware.
White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said Biden was being updated on the airstrike, and “will meet with his national security team in the coming hours.”
She said the attack “will last several hours,” and that the U.S.’s “support for Israel’s security is cast in iron. The U.S. will stand by the Israeli people and help them defend themselves against threats from Iran.”
Jordan has also reportedly closed its airspace in response.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation Saturday, saying the country was preparing for a direct attack, and will respond accordingly.
Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said any direct hit by Iranian drones on Israeli soil “will probably” elicit a response ten-fold.
“If Israel is hit and is hit in a sensitive location, Israel will respond heavily,” he said. He said Iran launching drone strikes “is obviously a significant escalation. There’s no other way to put this.”
Schanzer said in theory there’s “very little” difference between Iran directly attacking Israel versus directly conducting a strike on Jerusalem, but that the optics of a direct launch from Tehran “gives Israel an opportunity now to turn the tables on the regime.”
“The Iranians can no longer claim to be the aggrieved party. It’s a direct strike after having coordinated literally thousands of strikes from proxies. This is a moment that I would say has been inevitable in the region for several decades now, where the regime is finally owning its own aggression and it will give the Israelis ample opportunity to respond.”
Schanzer noted though that if Israel manages to take out “95 to 95%” of Iran’s drones in Saturday’s strike “that may be the end of it,” or may choose to retaliate at some later point. “They’ll have the time and space to decide to do so. so much depends on how successful these drone strikes are when anticipating a response.”
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told CNN GPS will not be available in some areas to track the drones ahead of the imminent attack.
Iran said in August it had built an advanced drone, the Mohajer-10, with an operational range of 1,240 miles, according to the Times of Israel.
They are capable of flying for up to 24 hours with loads as large as 660 pounds.
Two US officials told CBS Friday that Iran could deploy as many as 100 drones.
Bahaha, ” biden rushed to the white house from his vacation home in Delaware.” That asshole can barely walk. How can he be rushed if he hasn’t mastered walking yet?
We ALL know what a complete and utter imbecile Joe Biden is and his entire family! He and Obama ARE indeed traitors and MUST be prosecuted and Executed or imprisoned at the very least! We need OUR REAL President back in OUR White House and we need him NOW! TRUMP 2024
More blood on Biden’s hands, which he will say is just food coloring from coloring Easter eggs two weeks too late. That man is a looser and he may be putting American soldiers in harm’s way. They would be court marshaling me. I would refuse to go.
Tell me again that the Iranian people hate this tyrannical theocracy! Sounds to me , that their rampant antisemitism makes them nice fuzzy ‘bed partners’. I have ZERO sympathy for the Iranian people, and even less for the Palestinians.