Earlier in Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, airlines faced scores of disruptions primarily centered on Tel Aviv, cancelling flights into or out of the country
Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran is risking a potential military escalation, Britain calling the attack reckless" and Germany saying Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately." The Israeli military's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired scores of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with the vast majority intercepted outside Israel's borders. He said warplanes intercepted over 10 cruise missiles alone, also outside Israeli airspace. He said a handful of missiles managed to land in Israel. Rescuers said one
The Israeli military says Iran has launched a number of drones toward Israel. The army's spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said it would take several hours for the aircraft to arrive. He said Israel was prepared. He spoke Saturday evening. Israel has been on heightened alert since an airstrike last week killed two Iranian generals in Syria. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack and vowed revenge. Israel has not commented on that attack. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. The previous story is below. Commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday in the latest attack between the two countries. The seizure followed a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including a senior Guard general. Iran has promised to retaliate, and U.S. President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his b
An incoming attack by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles poses the latest challenge to Israel's air defense system, which already has been working overtime to cope with incoming rocket, drone and missile attacks throughout the six-month war against Hamas. Here's a closer look at Israel's multilayered air-defense system: The Arrow: This system developed with the U.S. is designed to intercept long-range missiles, including the types of ballistic missiles Iran said it launched on Saturday. The Arrow, which operates outside the atmosphere, has been used in the current war to intercept long-range missiles launched by Houthi militants in Yemen. David's Sling: Also developed with the U.S., the David's Sling is meant to intercept medium-range missiles, such as those possessed by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Patriot: This American-made system is the oldest member of Israel's missile-defense system used during the First Gulf War in 1991 to intercept Scud missiles fired by Iraq's leader at the .
The most well-known of Israel's air defenses is Iron Dome, which has shot down thousands of rockets since 2011 but is limited to a short range
Seventeen Indians are on board an Israeli-linked container ship that has been seized by the Iranian military amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. Official sources said India is in touch with Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure the welfare and early release of the Indian nationals. The Iranian action came amid increasing fears that Tehran may launch an attack on Israeli soil in retaliation to a strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria 12 days ago. "We are aware that a cargo ship 'MSC Aries' has been taken control by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard," said a source. "We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and in Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals," it said. Reports said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards seized MSC Aries on Saturday morning when it was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
A video seen by The Associated Press shows commandos raiding a ship near the Strait of Hormuz by helicopter on Saturday, an attack a Mideast defense official attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the West. The video showed the attack earlier reported by the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. It had offered no details about the boarding in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah. The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with the AP. In it, the commandos rappelled down onto a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel. A crew member on the ship could be heard saying: Don't come out." He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship's bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. One commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover fire. Though the AP could not immediately verify the video, it corresponded to known ...
Netanyahu made his comments as Israeli troops and warplanes started an operation in central Gaza which the military said was aimed at destroying infrastructure of armed Palestinian groups
The heightened tensions follow Tehran's accusation against Israel regarding an airstrike on a diplomatic building in Damascus, Syria on April 2, which killed its top military officials
Iran blamed Israel for the strike and there have been fears that Tehran may launch an attack on Israel soon
The United States has been on high alert about possible retaliatory strikes from Iran and US envoys have been working to lower tensions
Citing intelligence assessments, a Bloomberg report says an Iranian strike against Israel could involve high-precision missiles and drones
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated on Wednesday a promise to retaliate against Israel over the killings of Iranian generals in Syria. Khamenei spoke at a prayer ceremony celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying the airstrike that demolished Iran's consulate in Syria earlier this month was wrongdoing" against a diplomatic post that is considered Iranian territory. When they attack our consulate section it looked like they attack on our territory, Khamenei said. The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished. The strike killed 12 people: seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, four Syrians and a Hezbollah militia member. Israel has not acknowledged its involvement, though it has been bracing for an Iranian response to the attack that was a significant escalation in their long-running shadow war. State TV broadcast Khamenei's remarks live. He did not elaborate on the way Iran would retaliate. Khamenei also criticised the Wes
Iran's foreign minister Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the green light for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Tehran's vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed group's support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiraling into the rest of the Middle East. Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, i
A top Iranian military adviser on Sunday warned Israel that none of its embassies were safe following a strike in Damascus last week blamed on Israel that killed 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Regional tensions have threatened to draw the Middle East into a wider conflict as Israel's war against Hamas marks six months. Israel has been preparing for an Iranian response to the strike without directly acknowledging its involvement. The remarks by Gen. Rahim Safavi signaled that the attack on a diplomatic mission could be met with a similar response. None of the embassies of the (Israeli) regime are safe anymore, Safavi, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim agency. Safavi spoke at a memorial ceremony in Tehran for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard generals who were killed in the strike that flattened an Iranian consular building in Damascus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ..
A top military commander on Saturday renewed Iran's promise to retaliate after an airstrike earlier this week widely blamed on Israel destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's joint chief of staff, told mourners gathered for the funeral of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahdi that Iran will decide when and how to stage an operation to take revenge. Zahdi was the highest ranking commander slain in Monday's attack. The time, type, plan of the operation will be decided by us, in a way that makes Israel regret what it did," he said. "This will definitely be done. The attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound was a significant escalation in a long-running shadow war between the two archenemies, and Israel has been bracing for an Iranian response. In all, 12 people were killed in the strike: Seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, four Syrians and a Hezbollah militia member. On Friday, the commander of Iran's powerf
According to the UNHCR report, 4.8 million Afghan migrants and 2.5 million members of their host communities will be assisted in 2024
Israel faces increasing isolation as international criticism mounts over its killing of six foreign aid workers this week who were trying to deliver desperately needed food in Gaza
Israel is believed to have carried out the strike, among the most significant yet on Iranian interests in Tehran's close ally Syria. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement