Israel Defense Force, IDF has made a phone call to appreciate the troops of the United States Central Command who in conjunction with other international partners assisted the state of Israel to nearly intercept over 170 unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, 120 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles fired towards Israel overnight on Saturday by Iran.

IDF in a statement on Sunday said; “the close cooperation between the US military and the IDF has led to the formation of a strong coalition that proved itself last night in the face of Iran’s aerial attack.

The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, spoke with the Commander of US Central Command, General Michael E. Kurilla, this morning, and expressed great appreciation for the joint defensive effort in intercepting last night’s launches toward Israel”.

IDF in a statement said out of the 170 drones fired towards Israel by Iran, none entered Israeli territory. Adding that few of the ballistic missiles entered into Israel and caused minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase, one of the major Air force base in Israel. The IDF also said none of the 30 cruise missiles entered into Israel as they were intercepted and shot down off Israeli territory.

The IDF showed satellite video to demonstrate how the 99 percent interception rate of the Iran aerial attacks  looks like. The Defense also showed operational footage from the Aerial Defense System protecting the Israeli airspace and the F-35I Adir fighter jets returning to Nevatim Airbase to demonstrate that the military airbase with three runways are in condition despite the Iran ballistic attacks.

Prior to the Saturday night attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei in an address earlier in the week had stated that Israel’s attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus was akin to an attack on Iranian soil and that the Israeli regime will be punished.

According to AFP, “Booms and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem early Sunday after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission. The attack 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. Condemnation was swift, with France saying that “Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation.” Britain called the attacks “reckless.”

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has condemned Iran’s unprecedented air attack on Israel and convened a meeting of the G-7 leaders to develop a coordinated response to the brazen assault. U.S. forces have downed some Iran-launched attack drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter”

Following Iran’s strike on Israel, President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran had “taught a lesson to the Zionist army”.

The statement, shared by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on X, said “any new adventure will be responded with a heavier and regrettable response”.

In a series of escalating events across the Middle East, tensions may have reached a boiling point as residents from Iraq to Israel share alarming footage of the night sky ablaze with explosions.

On Sunday, Iran summoned the French, British, and German ambassadors to Tehran over reactions to Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel.“The British, French, and German ambassadors to Tehran were summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the irresponsible positions of certain officials of these countries regarding Iran’s response to the actions of the Zionist regime (Israel) against the nationals and interests of our country,” the Iran news agency said.

There is also reports that Iran has urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to the unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran said was a justified response to a strike that destroyed its consulate building in Damascus earlier this month.

According to AFP, no Iranian leaders have spoken out to justify the attack, which marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israeli territory.

“Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,” the Iranian mission to the UN said. The attack, according to the mission, was “conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defence”.

“If necessary”, Tehran “will not hesitate to take defensive measures to protect its interests against any aggressive military action,” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Experts have suggested that the missiles and drones were in slow motion and  slow-moving drone attack was calibrated to represent a show of power but to also allow some wiggle room.

“It appears that Iran telegraphed its attack on Israel to demonstrate it can strike using different capabilities to complicate the (Israeli army’s) ability to neutralise the assault but also to provide an off ramp to pause escalation,” said Nishank Motwani, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Washington.

Many countries, UN chiefs condemn Iran drone attack on Israel. France says Iran risking potential military escalation, Britain calls the attack reckless. Germany says Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately.

Iran had during the week seized commercial ship with links to Israel as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Out of 25 members on the ship seized by Iran, 17 are Indians.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu had on Saturday evening made a nationwide broadcast to quench tension among residents in Israel as a result of the planned Iran attack.

Benjamin Netanyahu said in quote: “Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran.

Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.

We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries.

We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.

Citizens of Israel, I know that you also are also level-headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command.

Together we will stand and with God’s help – together we will overcome all of our enemies.”

IDF while giving operational details of the Iran aerial attacks, said: “Dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the Arrow Aerial Defense System, together with Israel’s strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure.

Many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, were identified approaching Israeli territory from Iran and intercepted over the past few hours. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory.

The IDF is deployed on all fronts, prepared, and continuing to defend Israeli territory”

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had released a video of Israeli airstrikes in Khiam and Kfarkela, Lebanon on Sunday, April 14 after Iran launched over 320 drones and missiles toward Israel in retaliation for an attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month which killed two Iranian generals.