Iran strikes Israel as fears grow of wider conflict
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday (April 14) his country would achieve victory, after its military said it shot down almost all the more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran the night before in a sharp escalation of the Middle East conflict. - REUTERS
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00:00 Iran launched barrages of explosive drones and missiles at Israel into the early hours
00:06 of Sunday in its first ever direct attack on Israeli territory.
00:10 It's a retaliatory strike that raises the threat of a wider regional conflict, with
00:15 the United States pledging ironclad backing for Israel.
00:19 Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said his country's forces had intercepted
00:24 most of the salvo.
00:25 A number of Iranian missiles fell inside Israeli territory, causing minor damage to a military
00:33 base with no casualties.
00:36 Only one little girl has been hurt.
00:39 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a war cabinet in Tel Aviv, according to his
00:43 office.
00:44 He later posted on social media, quote, "We intercepted, we repelled.
00:48 Together we shall win."
00:52 Iran had vowed revenge after blaming Israel for a deadly strike on its consulate in Syria's
00:56 capital Damascus in early April.
00:59 Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.
01:03 The Iranian mission to the United Nations confirmed Saturday's blitz was in response
01:08 to the Damascus strike, adding that "the matter can be deemed concluded."
01:13 In a post on X, the mission also warned against further action by Israel and its allies, saying,
01:19 quote, "Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran's response will be considerably
01:24 more severe.
01:25 It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. must stay
01:31 away."
01:32 On Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden cut short a visit to Delaware for an emergency
01:37 meeting in the White House Situation Room.
01:40 He later pledged an "ironclad commitment" to Israel against security threats.
01:44 The White House said Biden and Netanyahu also spoke by phone on Saturday night.
01:50 According to the Pentagon, U.S. forces intercepted dozens of missiles and drones launched from
01:55 Iran as well as Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
01:58 Many world leaders condemned the strikes, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
02:03 Guterres adding that he was "deeply alarmed by the very real danger of a devastating region-wide
02:09 escalation."
02:10 The Gaza War between Israel and Hamas in its seventh month has driven up regional tensions.
02:16 It has spread to fronts with Lebanon and Syria and drawn long-range fire at Israeli targets
02:21 from as far away as Yemen and Iraq.
02:24 These clashes now threaten to morph into a direct, open conflict, pitting Iran and its
02:30 regional allies against Israel and the U.S., its main supporter.