The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially announced on Monday that they have dubbed the successful interception of drones and missiles launched by Iran as operation “Iron Shield.”
“’Iron Shield’ – the official name of the interception and thwarting operation of the Iranian attack on Saturday,” the IDF posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Iran’s first direct military assault on Israel, launched in retaliation for the April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, has been described as unprecedented. As a result of the attack, which Tehran blames on Tel Aviv, 16 people were killed, including officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
an, which included 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles, 99% were intercepted by Israel’s air defenses and fighter jets, in coordination with its United States-led coalition of allies.
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The West has supported Israel and criticized Iran but has advised Israel against responding to the “provocation” due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.
On the flip side, Iran has cautioned that it will deliver a “strong response” to any possible military action by Israel.
Meanwhile, according to The Times of Israel, the War Cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded discussions on the Jewish state’s retaliation, indicating that there were , “reports” that a retaliatory move could come “as soon as Monday.”
In a separate report, the Axios news site stated that Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Minister of Defense, informed his US counterpart Lloyd Austin that, given the use of ballistic missiles, Israel had “no choice but to respond.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that potential retaliatory measures include cyber attacks, targeted strikes on Iranian state-owned facilities like oil infrastructure, attacks on personnel and infrastructure linked to Tehran’s nuclear program, and targeting one of its regional “proxies” such as Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Houthis.
