New Delhi: Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on April 13, with reports calling it its first direct attack on Israel. India has called for de-escalation and restraint.
The attack is understood to be in retaliation of the April 1 strike by Israel on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus of Syria. The attack killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and eight other officers, according to The Guardian.
“The strikes are in response to numerous crimes committed by the Zionist regime, including an attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus and the martyrdom of a group of commanders and military advisors of our country in Syria,” the statement by the IRGC said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
The attack has raised fear of a bigger conflict in the region with US President Joe Biden issuing a statement saying he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he condemned it in “the strongest possible terms.”
Biden has promised a meeting of the Group of Seven today to coordinate a “diplomatic response”.
Earlier, the IRGC had told the US to stay out of the Middle East conflict.
“Any support and involvement in harming Iran’s interests” would result in a “decisive response by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the IRGC said in a statement on state television, according to DW.
Indicating that Tehran didn’t plan more attacks, Iran’s permanent representative to the UN issued a statement that after the military action, “The matter can be deemed concluded”.
Iran also justified the strikes under Article 51 of the UN Charter on Self-defense, citing the lack of condemnation of Israel’s airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria by the UN Security Council due to objections from the US, UK, and France. Additionally, Iran urged the United States to “stay away”.
Reuters has quoted Israeli authorities as having said that a seven-year-old girl was critically injured.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement quoted by DW that the number of Iranian drones and missiles launched was “more than 200.”
“Most of the missiles were intercepted by the long-range Arrow air defense system,” he said, adding that most of these were downed outside Israeli airspace.
The New York Times cited Israeli intelligence sources as having said that the main targets appeared to be Israeli military installations in the occupied Golan Heights, in the far north, and the Negev desert, in the far south.
The UN Security Council will also meet for an emergency session today in New York, at 4 pm local time.
India calls for de-escalation
The Ministry of External Affairs has said that India is “seriously concerned” at the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran – something which “threatens the peace and security in the region.”
“We call for immediate de-escalation, exercise of restraint, stepping back from violence and return to the path of diplomacy,” the ministry said in a statement.
It added that it is closely monitoring the evolving situation. “Our Embassies in the region are in close touch with Indian community. It is vital that security and stability are maintained in the region.”
The Wire has reported that India has reached out to Iran about the seizure of an Israel-linked container ship by Iranian armed forces near the Strait of Hormuz, seeking the early release of 17 Indian crew members.