Iran Attacks Israel: Netanyahu's War Cabinet Favors Retaliation, With Considerations | Top Updates

Israel's War Cabinet convened without a decision being reached on the next steps on Sunday, according to an official statement. The world awaited signs of further escalation following Iran's firing of over 300 missiles and drones over the weekend, marking Iran's first strike against Israel from its soil.

The success of thwarting a direct Iranian attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles was credited by Israeli leaders to an international military coalition, which they described as a starting point for a "strategic alliance" of regional opposition to Tehran, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Photo Credit: PTI

Iran attacks Israel

US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on April 15 (Monday) that its forces, with support from US European Command destroyers, had destroyed over 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen on April 13 and April 14.

The Israeli military reported that 99 per cent of the barrage was successfully intercepted, and no Israeli casualties were reported despite Iran's prior indications of the attack. Iran stated that it had achieved its objective of temporarily halting the progression towards a larger conflict. Allies of Israel in the US and Europe urged restraint, advocating for the avoidance of further escalation in statements made on Sunday, reported Hindustan Times.

Israel's chief spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, announced that the country remained on high alert and was assessing the situation. In a televised statement, Daniel Hagari stated that operational plans for both offensive and defensive actions had been approved over the last few hours.

The Iranian attack on Saturday, less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building, marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Latest Updates on Iran-Israel Conflict

• Israeli officials indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's five-member war cabinet favoured retaliation in a meeting on Sunday, although there was division over the timing and scale of any response, as reported by Reuters.
• Due to several reports urging caution, including from the US urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "think carefully and strategically," the war cabinet suspended its discussions, with plans to reconvene shortly, according to Channel 12 News.
• According to Israel Hayom daily newspaper, an Israeli official stated that "there will be a response", while NBC network quoted an official source in the Prime Minister's Office as saying that while a decision has yet to be made, "the IDF will need to present options" and that "it is clear that Israel will respond".
• A senior US official confirmed that President Joe Biden had informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington would not offer military support for any retaliation on Iran. Biden reiterated the United States' "ironclad" support for Israel but also seemed to guide it away from a military response against the two countries' common adversary, Iran.
• United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on members not to further escalate tensions with reprisals against Iran. "The Middle East is on the brink. The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict. Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate," Antonio Guterres said during a Security Council meeting called on Sunday in response to the strikes.
• While world powers urged restraint on Sunday over fears that Iran's unprecedented missile and drone strikes on Israel could spark a wider war in the Middle East, Israel's UN envoy Gilad Erdan urged the Council to "impose all possible sanctions on Iran before it's too late" and "condemn Iran for their terror".
• India's concerns over the situation in West Asia were conveyed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during separate phone conversations with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts on Sunday. Jaishankar discussed the "current situation in the region" with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as reported by ANI.
• Earlier on Sunday, serious concern was expressed by India about the increase in hostilities in West Asia, calling for immediate de-escalation following Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel.
• Leaders of the G7 issued a statement on Sunday "unequivocally condemning in the strongest terms Iran's direct and unprecedented attack against Israel." The statement came after the leaders convened in a video conference hosted by the Italian presidency.
• Oil was little changed even after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, reported Bloomberg. Global crude benchmark Brent crude initially rose as much as 0.7 per cent to $91.05 a barrel in early Asian trade, before trading flat.
• Sunday's planned flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Tel Aviv was cancelled by US air carrier United Airlines due to rising regional tensions, according to Reuters.