Iran launches large-scale drone, missile attack against Israel

JERUSALEM -- Iran has launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles toward Israel, the Israeli military said on Saturday night.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing that the drones would take several hours to arrive in Israeli airspace and that the country's defense systems would try to intercept them.

An official statement said the Israeli airspace will be closed from 00:30 a.m. (2130 GMT).

The Israeli military said in a statement that it is "constantly monitoring the operational situation." According to the statement, "the IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with Israel Air Force fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space."

Hagari called the Iranian aerial attack on Israel "a severe and dangerous escalation," adding that Israel's "defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran."

Israeli and U.S. forces are in "close coordination" and "dozens" of fighter jets are currently airborne, preparing for the Iranian aircraft's arrival in Israeli airspace, according to the Israeli army.

Meanwhile, two Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that several cruise missiles were also launched from Iran toward Israel.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel from Iran.

The IRGC added the details of the operation would be announced soon, stressing that it was carried out with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran and under the supervision of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.