Iron Shield: On Saturday, Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they intercepted 99% of these drones and missiles with their air defenses.
The IDF announced on Monday that the successful interception of the attack is called the operation “Iron Shield.” The IDF posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “Iron Shield” is the official name for the interception and stopping of the Iranian attack on Saturday.
“Iron Shield”- the official name of the interception and thwarting operation of the Iranian attack on Saturday.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 15, 2024
In an unprecedented move, Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel as a direct military assault. This was in retaliation for the April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. Tehran blames Tel Aviv for that attack. The assault killed 16 people, including members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran launched 170 drones and 150 missiles, including cruise and ballistic missiles. Israel intercepted 99% of these with its air defenses and fighter jets, with help from its US-led coalition allies.
While Western countries support Israel and condemn Iran’s actions, they have also urged Israel not to escalate the situation further because there is already ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas. Iran has warned Israel against taking any military action and has threatened a “strong response.”
On Monday, there were reports about Israel’s response. The Times of Israel mentioned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s War Cabinet finished discussing how to retaliate. They also reported that Israel could strike back as soon as Monday.
The War Cabinet decided to respond “clearly and forcefully” to send a message to Iran that Israel would not let an attack of that size go unanswered, according to Channel 12.
Separately, Axios reported that Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, that Israel had to respond because of Iran’s use of ballistic missiles.
The Wall Street Journal mentioned potential retaliatory options, including cyber attacks, targeted strikes on Iranian state-owned sites like oil infrastructure, strikes on personnel and infrastructure related to Tehran’s nuclear program, and targeting one of Iran’s allies in the region (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis).
However, the WSJ said that striking Iranian nuclear sites would likely not happen because such an operation would require both US support and funding.
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