Victor Ezeja
In a retaliatory move, Iran on Saturday night, launched a direct attack at on Isreal.
According to Israeli military, over 300 missiles and drones were fired at its territory from Iran, Iraq and Yemen, but a vast majority of them have been intercepted.
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Israel Defence Spokesperson said its military worked “closely” with the militaries of the US, UK and France to intercept 99 per cent of the projectiles.
An Aljazeera report quoted medics saying the attack wounded a seven-year-old girl in southern Israel and caused minor damage at an Israeli military facility.
Iran Claims Responsibility
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in response to an alleged Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1.
The raid had led to death of 12 people, including two senior generals in the IRGC’s elite Quds Force.
Israel however, neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the consulate attack.
Iran warned Israel that it would respond in a more “considerably severe” manner should the latter make such attempt in future.
It further warned the United States to stay out of the conflict.
Meanwhile, some Western countries including the US, France, the UK, Mexico, Norway, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Denmark, condemned Iran’s attack on Isreal, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia called for restraint.
At Israel’s request, the United Nations Security Council has summoned an emergency meeting to consider the issue.
US President Joe Biden after meeting with his national security staff at the White House, had a late-night conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and reiterated Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to its ally’s security.
Fears of Conflict Escalation
There are fears that the war in Gaza might escalate into a regional one with Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq getting involved, supporting Palestine against Israel.
Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 when Hamas attacked its territory and killed over 1,000 with dozens of people still held captive.
Iran has been supporting Palestine in the ongoing war in Gaza. It has been collaborating with its ally in the region, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah – which has been exchanging fire with Israel since the Gaza war began. Also, Houthi rebels in Yemen had reportedly launched attacks on shipping lanes in and around the Red Sea to show solidarity with Hamas.
READ ALSO: Israel-Gaza War: UN Security Council Calls For Ceasefire
A container ship linked to Israel was seized by Iranian military troops earlier on Saturday in the area near the Strait of Hormuz.
On his part, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, condemned the attack by Iran, expressing concern about the impending danger of region-wide escalation of the conflict.
“I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation,” he said.
Netanyahu, in a post on X, expressed confidence that Israel will emerged victorious despite the latest threats.
“We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win,” Netanyahu said.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
