Iran vs Israel

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Iran launches large-scale attack against Israel

Several Iranian missiles landed in Israel on Saturday as part of a major aerial attack against Israel, marking a dangerous new escalation in the region that risks deadly clashes between Israel and Iran.

https://local.newsbreak.com/washington-state/3402127379515-iran-launches-large-scale-attack-against-israel?

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Iran’s attack on Israel raises fears of a wider war, but all sides have also scored gains

The unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday heightened regional tensions, confirming long-held fears about the Israel-Hamas war spiraling into a broader conflict. But Iran, Israel, the United States and Hamas also walked away with some gains.    Here’s a look at the fallout. Read more.

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Israel remains quiet on next steps against Iran Israeli leaders on Sunday credited an international military coalition with coordinating a response to a direct Iranian attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles, calling it a starting point for a “strategic alliance.” But Israel’s War Cabinet met without making a decision on next steps, an official said, as a nervous world waited for any sign of further escalation. Read more.

Recent developments: The military coalition, led by the United States, Britain and France and appearing to include some Middle Eastern countries, supported Israel at a time when it finds itself isolated over its war against Hamas in Gaza. The coalition also could serve as a model for regional relations when that war ends.   One unknown is which of Israel’s neighbors participated in shooting down of the vast majority of about 350 drones and missiles Iran launched. Israeli military officials and a key War Cabinet member noted additional “partners” without naming them. When pressed, White House national security spokesman John Kirby would not name them either. But one appeared to be Jordan, which described its actions as self-defense.   Iran may have managed to strike a balance between retaliating publicly and avoiding provoking further Israeli military action and setting off a much wider conflict. Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa center at the U.S. Institute of Peace said of the situation: “Both (Iran and Israel) are able at this point to claim victory and step down off the precipice, particularly since there were no Israeli civilians killed.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What key recent events led to Iran’s assault on Israel?   Inside Israel’s air-defense system that protected it from Iran’s drone and missile strike   Biden to host Iraqi leader as Mideast tensions soar

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?? Biden to Bibi: "Be careful"

The Biden administration is urging Israel — in private and in public — not to rush into a massive retaliation after the unprecedented Iranian attack on Saturday, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• Why it matters: The U.S. assessment is that Iran would retaliate against any significant, overt Israeli strike on Iranian soil with a new round of missile and drone attacks, a senior U.S. official said.

There's also a risk that efforts to defend Israel against more Iranian attacks wouldn't be as successful as the coordinated defense that intercepted nearly all of the drones and missiles Iran launched at Israel, the official added.

• During a phone call on Saturday, President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he needs to think carefully and strategically about the danger of regional escalation if Israel retaliates, a senior U.S. official said in a call with reporters.
• The Biden administration continued this conversation with the Israeli government yesterday and stressed that Israel needs to "be careful and strategic" with its response to the Iranian attack.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement yesterday that no additional military action against Israel is currently on the agenda.

• It warned that any continued Israeli action against Iran would receive "at least a ten-fold response," the statement said.

Keep reading.

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Israel vows to retaliate against Iran for missile attacks

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Sunday that Israel has no choice but to respond to the unprecedented missile and drone attack launched by Iran over the weekend, a U.S. official and another source briefed on the call told Axios.

https://www.axios.com/2024/04/15/israel-iran-attack-missiles-retaliation?

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Israel’s military chief says that Israel will respond to Iran’s weekend missile attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military chief said Monday that his country will respond to Iran’s weekend attack, but he did not elaborate on when and how as world leaders urged against retaliation, trying to avoid a spiral of violence in the Middle East.

https://apnews.com/article/mideast-tensions-israel-iran-drone-attack-aec3627b0b19b42dcafc89a7408dc296?

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The Latest | Netanyahu says Israel will decide how to respond as Iran warns against retaliation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-04-17-2024-7e4ba24fbb150f020a2d240dad9d462f?

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US and UK issue new sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran’s weekend attack on Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and U.K. on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran as concern grows that Tehran’s unprecedented attack on Israel could fuel a wider war in the Middle East.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-treasury-sanctions-g7-f031a8bbcc54734a2eac152b36859ee9?

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Iran activates air defenses at Isfahan air base and a nuclear site after drones spotted Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country. Read more.

Recent developments: It was unclear if the country came under attack, as no Iranian official directly acknowledged the possibility and Israel’s military did not respond to a request for comment. However, tensions have been high since the Saturday assault on Israel.   U.S. officials declined to comment as of early Friday, but American broadcast networks quoting unnamed U.S. officials said Israel carried out the attack. The New York Times quoted anonymous Israeli officials claiming the assault.   State television described all atomic sites in the area as “fully safe.” The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also said “there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” after the incident.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US vetoes widely supported resolution backing full UN membership for Palestine   Congress is moving swiftly on bipartisan action to punish Iran after revenge attack on Israel   NATO and the EU urge G7 nations to expand Iran sanctions and step up air defense for Ukraine

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Israel hits Iran

Screenshot: CNN Israel conducted a strike in Iran early this morning local time, a senior U.S. official told Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: Israel, which has not confirmed it launched an attack, has vowed to retaliate against Iran for a missile and drone attack on Israel. The U.S. is concerned that continued counterattacks could trigger wider regional escalation. Between the lines: The muted initial response by both sides suggests Iran and Israel want to avoid escalation. (N.Y. Times) The Biden administration has warned Israel that escalation with Iran wouldn't serve U.S. or Israeli interests — and urged Israel to "be careful" with retaliation, U.S. officials said. The U.S. official said Israel notified the U.S. in advance: "We were not surprised." ? Zoom in: The Fars news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported explosions were heard in the city of Isfahan in central Iran near an Iranian air force base. Iranian state TV reported several drones were shot down by air defenses in Isfahan. The strike didn't appear to target nuclear facilities, which IRNA said were undamaged.

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Satellite image analyzed by AP shows damage after Iranian attack on Israeli desert air base

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian attack on an Israeli desert air base last week as part of Tehran’s unprecedented assault on the country damaged a taxiway, a satellite image analyzed by The Associated Press on Saturday shows.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-attack-nevatim-base-israel-satellite-photo-c8bea9f43967457bd49b60a6fe1dcd42?