Iran’s missile strike on Israel has prompted extensive global reactions. The Secretary-General of the United Nations condemned the attack and called for an end to hostilities in the region. The United States and Britain, in addition to condemning the attack, collaborated with Israel to thwart these missiles. China and Egypt urged Iran to exercise restraint. Verbal tensions between Iran and Israel through their proxy groups have persisted for decades. This marks the first direct targeting of Israel by Iran from its soil. Israel brands Iran as the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism, while Iran defines enmity with Israel as a fundamental principle of the 1979 Islamic Revolution doctrine. However, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations stated that the drone and missile attacks were carried out under Article 51 of the UN Charter, regarding legitimate defense against Israeli aggression at diplomatic locations. On Saturday night, Iran launched attacks on Israel using over 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. An Israeli army spokesperson reported that 99% of these missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets.
On Saturday night, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had launched attacks on targets in Israel using hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. This marks the first confrontation between the two countries in the past 45 years, triggered by Israel’s airstrike on the consulate of Iran in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
Shortly after these attacks, Iran’s permanent representation to the United Nations, in a statement, referred to it as Tehran’s military response based on the UN Charter in legitimate defense of its country. The statement stated that Tehran carried out this action in response to Israel’s attack on diplomatic locations of this country in Damascus.
The statement said: “Iran’s military response was under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter regarding legitimate defense in response to the Zionist regime’s aggressions against our diplomatic sites in Damascus. The matter can be considered concluded. However, if the Israeli regime commits another mistake, Iran’s response will be significantly more severe.”
Iran’s permanent representation to the United Nations in this statement called on the United States to distance itself from the confrontation between Tehran and Tel Aviv. According to the statement, “This is a confrontation between Iran and the insubordinate Israeli regime from which America should stay away.”
In response, Daniel Hagari, the Israeli army spokesperson, said after this attack that about “300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles” were launched by Iran towards Israel, of which 99% were intercepted before reaching their target. He confirmed that at least one military facility in the south of the country was targeted, but no serious damage was inflicted on this facility.
The Israeli army spokesperson has stated that Iran has fired “170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles” toward Israel, some of which originated from Yemen and Iraq. He emphasized that Iran has taken a highly dangerous action that escalates tensions in the region.
Simultaneously, The New York Times, citing Israeli officials, reported: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has launched 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles, and 110 surface-to-surface missiles towards Israel.”
Furthermore, Israeli authorities have confirmed that 31 people were injured as a result of Iran’s attacks. Israel’s Channel 24 TV reported that an explosion occurred in the Negev Desert, resulting in serious injury to a 10-year-old child.
Iran’s Defensive Position on Its Attacks on Israel
Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani, Iran’s Minister of Defense, has issued a warning to regional countries not to grant their airspace to Israel. He stated, “Any country that opens its airspace or territory for attacking Iran towards Israel will receive a decisive response from us.”
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has labeled this action as legitimate defense and retaliatory strikes. In a press release, the ministry stated that Iran’s armed forces have responded militarily to the killing of Iranian military advisers who were officially invited by the Syrian government and were active in that country, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The statement emphasized that if necessary, Tehran would take further defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, also described the drone and missile attacks on Israel as legitimate defense, deterrent, and in line with the United Nations Charter. He stated, “Any threat from any country’s origin will result in an appropriate and severe response from the source of the threats.”
Simultaneously, Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, has stated that Iran’s operation has concluded, and there is no intention to continue it. He continued to warn that if Israel takes any action against Iran or Iranian facilities in Syria or any other country, Tehran’s next operation will be more significant.
Israel’s Response to Iran’s Attacks
Following Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel have stated that the “confrontation” is not yet over. Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will achieve “victory” after confronting Iran’s drones and missiles. He wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page: “We have risen to the challenge and together we will prevail.”
Furthermore, Yoav Gallant, the Defense Minister of Israel, stated in a video message that they were able to neutralize Iran’s drones and missiles, but this confrontation “is not over yet.” He said, “We, along with the United States and our other allies, have succeeded in defending the soil of Israel. Very little damage was inflicted. This is the result of the impressive operation of the Israeli army. The campaign is not over yet. We must remain vigilant and prepared for any scenario.”
Meanwhile, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and called for an end to hostilities. He said, “I am deeply concerned about the very real danger of escalating destructive tensions in the region. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any actions that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”
US Reaction to Iran’s Drone and Missile Attacks on Israel
In response to Iran’s attack on Israel, US President Joe Biden has abruptly interrupted his vacation. By convening a meeting of the National Security Council at the White House, he unequivocally declared support for Israel. He further stated that a decision on the international diplomatic response to Iran’s attack on Israel will be made during a summit with the leaders of the G7.
Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, has twice spoken with Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, over the phone following Iran’s drone and missile attacks, emphasizing Washington’s steadfast support for Tel Aviv. These officials praised the defensive actions taken to intercept Iranian missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense has urged Israel to inform Washington before responding to Iran. The Israeli Ministry of Defense has released a statement from the telephone conversation between these two officials, in which the US Secretary of Defense asked his Israeli counterpart to inform Washington of its plans before any potential response to Iran.
Furthermore, CNN reported that Biden told Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in any attack against Iran. Biden also described Iran’s attack on Israel as largely unsuccessful.
The UK Ministry of Defense stated that its aircraft participated in tracking the missiles and drones launched by Iran in the skies of Syria and Iraq.
Additionally, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak strongly condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel and emphasized his country’s support for Israel. He described the attack as “reckless” and reiterated Britain’s commitment to supporting the security of Israel and its other allies, including Iraq and Jordan.
Mr. Sunak added that Iran has demonstrated its intention to create a crisis in the region. He emphasized efforts to manage the situation in cooperation with other countries.
EU Response
Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, on Saturday night, April 13, denounced Iran’s attack on Israel as “unacceptable” and strongly condemned it. According to him, this attack significantly escalates regional tensions and threatens the security of the region.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of France and Italy also criticized this attack. French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, described Iran’s attack on Israel as unprecedented and condemned it. He emphasized his country’s full solidarity with Israel. According to him, Iran is taking “a new step in its destabilizing actions and risks escalating military tensions.”
At the same time, Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, stated in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page that his country is closely monitoring the situation following Iran’s attack on Israel and is prepared to confront any scenario.
Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, stated that his country condemns Iran’s attacks “to the fullest extent possible.” He also said that Iran has put the region at risk of all-out war with this irresponsible and unjustifiable attack. The German Chancellor stated: “With this irresponsible and unjustifiable attack, Iran has elevated the risk of all-out war. Germany stands alongside Israel and supports it.”
Iran’s recent attack on Israel has stirred various reactions in both Iran and Afghanistan. Some social media users in Afghanistan have praised Iran’s attack on Israel, stating that they have breathed a sigh of relief for the first time since Israel’s deadly attacks on Gaza. However, others express concerns about the escalation of war in the region.
On the other hand, Iranian media have reported “joyous celebrations” among groups of people in various cities across Iran through the publication of images. These images indicate that those who have taken to the streets are happy about Iran’s attack on Israel. Nevertheless, an examination of the content shared by Iranian users on social media continues to show that many citizens of the country are worried about the military confrontation between Iran and Israel. Many users have labeled this action as the beginning of “World War III” and have called for a reduction in tensions.
Following this attack, many countries in the region closed their airspace to flights for hours and urged their citizens to refrain from traveling to Iran and Israel.
It is worth mentioning that Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel was retaliatory. Iran has announced that these attacks were carried out in response to Israel’s attack on its consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, as part of its legitimate defense under the United Nations Charter.
Meanwhile, alongside global condemnation, China and Egypt have called for self-restraint by Iran.
