Israel plans a “significant response” to the Iranian drone attack against it, Israel’s Channel 12 TV quoted an unnamed senior Israeli official as saying early on Sunday.

The US military has shot down some of the Iranian drones heading for Israel, three American officials have told the Reuters news agency.

They did not give the number of drones downed.

British broadcaster Sky News reported that sources told it Royal Air Force aircraft were also involved in the defense of Israel. 

Israel’s military sounded sirens in multiple locations in the south of the country as well as in parts of the occupied West Bank early on Sunday, an alert app showed, warning of incoming aerial threats.

Israeli media reported explosions heard in Jerusalem were from aerial interceptions of Iranian drones.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the government in Berlin condemned Iran’s attack on Israel “in the strongest terms.” 

She warned it had the potential to “plunge an entire region into chaos.” 

“Iran and its proxies must stop this at once,” Baerbock wrote in a short post online. “Israel has our complete solidarity in these hours.” 

Iran’s mission to the UN has said that the military action late on Saturday “was in response” to what it called Israel’s “aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus.”

It claimed to have acted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter on a UN member’s right to act in self-defense when attacked. 

It also seemed to indicate that it was not planning further strikes. 

“The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” the Iranian mission to the UN wrote in a post published in English online. 

Whether Israel and its allies consider this the end of the matter could well prove another question.

The Iranian message also described the conflict as one between Israel and Iran — and said the US must stay away. 

Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, best known for his years as former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson, was the first representative of the German government to respond. 

“A direct attack as never before,” Seibert wrote online. “Iranian drones are flying towards Israel and more could yet come.”

Seibert “urgently” asked Germans in Israel to follow instructions from Israel’s Home Front Command and from local authorities for their own safety. 

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, meanwhile, was expected to start a three-day visit to China on Sunday, which might prove his next opportunity to comment. 

Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency has quoted Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani as saying that Tehran would have a “firm response” for any country that “opens its airspace or territory for attacks on Iran by Israel.” 

Iran’s Shiite government has strained ties not just with Israel but also with many of the country’s neighbors with Sunni Muslim leadership. 

Officials in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq have said their countries’ commercial airspace had been closed. 

The UK prime minister issued a statement late on Saturday, saying Britain would “continue to stand up for Israel’s security” along with partners and allies in the region like Jordan and Iraq. 

“I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack on Israel,” Rishi Sunak said. “Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its backyard.” 

“Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation. Nobody wants more bloodshed,” the statement concluded. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote, “Israel is strong” in a post on X just as the military first confirmed the Iranian drone and missile attack.

“The State of Israel is strong, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] are strong, the people of Israel are strong,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

“Together we will stand, and with God’s help — together we will overcome all our enemies,” he wrote.

Netanyahu convened a meeting of his War Cabinet at a military base in Tel Aviv early on Sunday, the prime minister’s office said. 

Channel 12 TV in Israel cited a defense official late on Saturday as saying that a total of about 100 Iranian drones and missiles had been launched toward Israel. 

Channel 12 reported that some of these had been shot down over either Syria or Jordan. 

Israel’s military said its forces and allies were closely monitoring the projectiles and were ready to defend Israel. 

“This is a severe and dangerous escalation,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement also posted on social media, describing the attack as “large-scale” and “direct.” 

Iranian state media quoted the country’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) military unit as saying that both drones and missiles had been launched against specific targets in Israel. 

Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, of a speech from earlier in the week at around the time news of the drone attack broke. 

In it, he said Israel’s “wicked regime” would be “punished,” following the strike on the Damascus consulate that killed several IRGC commanders on April 1. 

Israeli station Channel 12 TV also reported that Iran had launched cruise missiles with shorter flight times in Israel’s direction. 

Israel’s airport authority, meanwhile, announced that it would be closing the country’s commercial airspace at 00:30 local time (2130 UTC/GMT). 

Iraq and Jordan have also announced they are closing their airspace following the announcement of Iranian drones headed toward Israel. 

The White House has said in a statement that the United States will “stand with people of Israel” in the face of an imminent Iranian drone attack.

“This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

“The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran,” she said.

US President Joe Biden is being kept informed of the situation and will meet with his security team at the White House, a spokesperson for the National Security Council told reporters.
 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is prepared for an attack from Iran and has international support.

“Our defense systems are deployed, we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and attack,” he said, pointing to a “direct attack from Iran.”

He added that Israel had the support of the United States and “many” countries.

Iran has accused Israel of conducting a deadly airstrike against its consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack but has in the past said it conducts operations against Iran-linked targets in Syria.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised address late on Saturday that Iran had fired dozens of drones toward Israel. 

“Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” he said, adding that the flight time could be several hours.

“The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation,” Hagari said. 

While he lauded Israel’s aerial defenses as “excellent,” he also urged the public to heed safety warnings and sirens, as none could be 100% effective. 

Hagari said the IDF was in close communication with international partners.