Israeli officials announced late Saturday night that Iran had conducted a drone attack on Israel, a significant escalation in the Middle East conflict.
According to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari, the drones would take several hours to reach Israeli airspace. He advised Israelis to seek shelter in safe places for 10 minutes if sirens sounded in their localities.
In a statement carried on Iranian state television, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have launched hundreds of drones and missiles into Israeli locations.
Read: U.S. Military Moving Assets To Middle East Amid Rising Tensions With Iran And Israel
In a Saturday night address to Israelis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country was ready for “any scenario, both defensively and offensively.
“We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination,” Netanyahu said.
The White House acknowledged the launch, with a spokesperson saying President Biden would monitor the attack from the Situation Room alongside top defense and diplomatic officials.
“President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad,” said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson. “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”
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