Iran launches first direct attack on Israel using hundreds of missiles, drones

Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first direct attack on Israeli territory, a retaliatory strike that raised the threat of a wider regional conflict.

The Israeli military said on Sunday the Iranian salvo consisted of more than 300 “killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles”, but that 99 percent were intercepted with help from forces from France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The launches, which the army said came from Iran, as well as from Iraq and Yemen, set off air raid sirens in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv.

Medics said a girl in southern Israel was wounded by shrapnel from an intercepted drone, while the military said “a small number of hits were identified, including at [an Israeli military] base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Iran’s airborne attack Saturday against Israel and urged a cessation of hostilities, emphasizing he is “deeply alarmed” about the “very real danger” of a devastating region-wide escalation.