Israel’s military chief said on April 15 that Israel will respond to Iran’s missile and drone attack, but it’s not clear how or when.
Herzi Halevi, head of the Israel Defense Forces, told reporters that Iran’s strikes “will be met with a response” without elaborating. He spoke during a visit to the Nevatim air base, which Israel says suffered light damage in the Iranian attack.
“Iran wanted to harm the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel—that is something that had not happened before. We were prepared for the ‘Iron Shield’ operation—preparation that brought Iran to also meet air superiority,” he said. “Last Monday, we saw what was being organized, and we think that the State of Israel is very strong and knows how to deal with it alone, but with a threat so numerous and so far away, we are always happy to have [the United States] with us.
“Looking ahead, we are considering our steps, and this launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been huddling with top officials to discuss a possible response to Iran’s attack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. World leaders have been urging Israel to not retaliate, while U.S. officials have suggested that Israel’s defense apparatus was overwhelmingly successful in dealing with Iran’s attack and intercepted 99 percent of their missiles and drones.
Airlines Cancel Flights
On April 15, a number of airline companies canceled or delayed flights again after the Iranian missile and drone attack. United Airlines and Air Canada, notably, canceled some flights into Tel Aviv as well as flights into Jordan.
More Warnings
Iranian officials said the attack was carried out in response to an Israeli airstrike on April 1 on an Iranian consulate in Syria that left two Iranian generals and other officials dead.“Our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran,” armed forces chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri told state-run media in articles published on April 14. He claimed that Iran warned the United States through Switzerland that any support of an Israeli counterattack against Iran would lead to American assets being targeted.
After the drones and missiles were launched, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the United States through state-run IRNA that the “U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran’s interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran’s armed forces.”
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby commented on April 15 about whether the United States had been or expects to be briefed on any Israeli response plans.
“We will let the Israelis speak to that,” he told reporters. “We are not involved in their decision-making process about a potential response.”
The Iranian attack on April 13 was the first time that Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The attack happened less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.
Israel’s military stated that its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that “strategic partners” were involved.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that U.S. military forces “intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen,” referring to a term used for unmanned aerial vehicles.
“At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,” President Joe Biden said in a separate statement over the past weekend. “Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.”
Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip after members of the group carried out a cross-border attack that left more than 1,200 civilians dead. More than 250 people were kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, incident, according to officials. Israel’s government is still negotiating with Hamas for the release of the remaining hostages.
