Tehran: Iran’s large-scale air attack on Israel has prompted fears of further escalation in the volatile Middle East, as leaders condemned the attack and rallied on Sunday to consider their further response.
Israeli and regional airspace reopened on Sunday morning after the country managed with the help of its allies to intercept 99 per cent of the projectiles fired by Iran, according to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Tehran had launched “over 300 threats of various types,” Hagari said.
For the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran directly attacked Israel in the overnight barrage of drones and missiles. The attack was retaliation for the killing of high-ranking Iranian officers in Syria, in a suspected Israeli airstrike on April 1.
Of the 170 unmanned missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles launched by Iran, none reached Israel, Hagari said. “Out of over 120 ballistic missiles, only a few crossed into Israeli territory, with the rest being intercepted,” he added.
These had caused minor infrastructure damage to the Nevatim Air Force Base, which continued to function normally.
Hagari spoke of Israel’s “very significant strategic achievement” in deterring the attack. He strongly rejected the idea that the airstrikes could have been intended as a form of sabre-rattling without serious intent of damage.