The swarm of drones and missiles launched by Iran towards Israeli territory on Saturday are now arriving at their targets, as explosions have been reported across Israel.
Video footage shows Israeli Iron Dome and other air defense systems intercepting Iranian drones across the nation. Explosions have been reported in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and dozens of other Israeli settlements a little under three hours after the Iranian government launched a series of Shahed suicide drones. The drones took time to reach Israel, while Iran and its proxies timed the launch of missiles with the arrival of the drones.
Drone interceptions were also reported over the Jordanian capital of Amman.
Residents of the northern Golan Heights, the area of Nevatim, Dimona and Eilat have been told by the Israel Defense Forces they are required to stay near protective spaces until further notice, NBC News reported.
The IDF advised citizens that it is required to move to a protected space when warning sirens are activated. If there is no expected space, residents are advised to shelter for at least 10 minutes after warning sirens cease.
President Biden is currently meeting with members of the National Security Council as the U.S. coordinates with Israel on its defense plan. Senior U.S. officials, including U.S. Central Command General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, have been in Israel over the past week in preparation for the expected attack.
President Biden is not expected to address the nation tonight.
Iran had vowed to attack Israel in response to the conflict in Gaza, as well as an Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic’s consulate in Syria that left two of the nation’s top military commanders dead.
The U.S. military has announced that it shot down a number of drones and missiles launched by Iran and its regional proxies before they reached Israeli territory. The military intends to shoot down Iranian drones and missiles when they come into range of U.S. assets in Iraq, Syria and at sea, NBC News reported.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time, the Iranian government announced that its military action against the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,” had concluded.
Iran said the attack was a “legitimate defense” in response to the consulate attack, adding that if Israel commits “another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.”