IDF repels historic Iranian barrage, drafts two reserve brigades for new Gaza operations

In a historic, first-ever direct attack between Iran and Israel, the Islamic Republic launched around 350 drones and missiles across the region on Saturday night, prompting sirens all across the country, disrupting and possibly altering the power balance in the Middle East.

The drones and missiles were shot down at a 99% rate. Drones and missiles were also launched from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. They included 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 missiles, containing over 60 tons of explosives.

Three Jordanians were killed, a seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin village near Arad was seriously wounded, while a few dozen others were treated for anxiety. Minor damage was sustained to infrastructure at the IDF Nevatim base in southern Israel during the attack as well, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

There were two rounds of rockets, around 40 in total, fired on Israel from Lebanon, with Israel responding with counterattacks in close to real-time.

None of the drones or cruise missiles entered Israeli airspace, while Hagari noted that only a small number of ballistic missiles managed to penetrate.

Almost all interceptions have been by dozens of aircraft, the long-range Arrow missile systems, or the medium-range David’s Sling system. The Iron Dome, which defends well against Hamas and Hezbollah’s short-range rockets, is less relevant for drones and fancier long-range missiles.

The attack came after Iran accused Israel of killing top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi on April 1. Zahedi has directed proxy attacks on Israel in Lebanon and Syria and was a top coordinator with Hezbollah.

Despite injuring civilians, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said it conducted the attack against military bases in “self-defense.”

On 14 April 2024, I.R.Iran's armed forces have carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli's military bases in response to, & in exercise of its inherent right of #self_defense as recognized under Article 51 of the Charter, against Israel's recurring military aggressions, pic.twitter.com/1zEWt9Slhd

— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran (@IRIMFA_EN) April 14, 2024

The IDF said the wide number of sirens was mostly not from rockets that entered Israeli territory but from pieces of rockets shot down outside of Israel, where the remains of the rockets’ landing spots were unpredictable.

Military sources hinted at an Israeli response of large proportions, including with the active backing of key allies, but did not give details about scope and timing. The IDF declined to publicly commit to any specific timeline for a counterstrike on Iran.

The US, UK, France, and Jordan helped shoot down Iranian projectiles, with the US shooting down over 70. Israeli aircraft started shooting down projectiles as of 12 a.m., but significant numbers of threats were shot down between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Hezbollah said it fired dozens of Katyusha rockets from Lebanon towards the Golan Heights on Saturday night, setting off sirens in Snir.

On Sunday morning, about 30 rockets were fired again from Lebanon toward northern Israel. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for that barrage as well and said it was in response to Israeli strikes on towns in southern Lebanon earlier in the night. One of the rockets fell in Katzrin, heavily damaging property, but there were no physical injuries.

At 1:06 a.m., Iran’s Mission to the UN stated that the attack on Israel “can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US must stay away!”

Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli…

— Permanent Mission of I.R.Iran to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) April 13, 2024

The security cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and war minister Benny Gantz to make decisions concerning further action against Iran early on Sunday morning, and the cabinet met again later that day.

Ofir Gendelman, the prime minister’s spokesperson to Arabic media, warned that Israel’s response will be “firm and clear,” in statements to Al-Arabiya on Saturday night.

The Israel Airports Authority closed Israeli airspace starting at 12:30 a.m., opening up later in the day.

The commander of the IDF’s Home Front Command, Rafi Milo, called on civilians to “continue to be cautious and listen to directives; they can change depending on the situation.

“We have been at war on several fronts for over six months,” he continued. “Throughout the war, we faced and rubbed shoulders with many challenges in a very wide variety of threats, we learned and improved – we arrive prepared and strong both in defense and attack.”

The Health Ministry ordered hospitals to be on alert and increase the staff at medical institutions, while vacations for medical staff were canceled.

Shortly after the attack began, Iraqi officials announced that Iraqi airspace was closed, followed by Lebanon and Jordan.

An unlikely alliance

Jordanian jets shot down dozens of Iranian drones, two regional security sources had told Reuters.

The British Ministry of Defence said its Royal Air Force jets in the Middle East “will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required. In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks.”

Iraqi security sources told Arab media that several Iranian missiles fell near Yusufiya, south of Baghdad, on Saturday night. Long lines were reported at gas stations in Iran and Lebanon as residents rushed to prepare for an expected regional escalation.

Netanyahu, in a video message shortly before the attack, said that “in recent years, and even more so in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran.”

He warned Tehran that “whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will protect ourselves from any threat and we will do so with steadfastness and determination.”

In a call between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu, the president reaffirmed “America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel,” and that “Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.”

Biden told Netanyahu that the US would not take part in any offensive operations against Iran, CNN reported on Sunday morning.

According to the report, Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should consider the success in intercepting the Iranian attack a “win.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked Gallant to notify the US of any potential response to the Iranian attack, a US official told CNN early Sunday.

Separately, Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) Moshe Patel on Monday said that nearly 40 years of investment in long-range missile defense had finally paid off to defend against Iran’s massive attack.

He said that “all of the defense systems proved themselves well. All of their actions were coordinated after significant preparation and development of the systems, simulations, and integration with actual battle units.”

“If someone thought the scenarios were imaginary” where Israel would need long-range missile defense, they finally saw the relevance.

Patel told how the program to defend against long-range missiles started in 1986 around when US president Ronald Reagan was enthralled with the idea of truly effective missile defense (for the US against the Soviet Union.)

After Iraq attacked Israel with long-range Scud missiles in 1991, the program got a boost, said Patel.

However, until Hezbollah rained down missiles on Israel in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, missile defense was still sort of the “forgotten stepchild” of the defense establishment with most IDF chiefs viewing it as a waste of limited resources that would be better used to develop more offensive weapons.

Eventually, Iron Dome, which provides short-range defense against high volumes of weaker Hamas and Hezbollah rockets, overtook the Arrow long-range missile defense as the “favored child” among the political class.

Still, the Arrow missile system continued and developed with versions II and III. Israel eventually developed David’s Sling for mid-tier defense, drones, and cruise missiles.

The Arrow and David’s Sling were the stars of Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the military announced late Monday that two reservist brigades would be called up soon for future operations in Gaza, as the Mossad had said that Hamas rejected a ceasefire hostage deal, and the IDF pressed on in the enclave.

The IDF did not specify the nature of those operations, but the military left a vacuum in the Khan Yunis part of southern Gaza when it withdrew from there last Saturday.

Also, the IDF has been expected to start moving toward an eventual operation against four remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah in deep southern Gaza.

Reuters contributed to this report.