This is an ongoing story and will be updated.
Iran launched an airborne attack on Israel around midnight Sunday morning local time. Iran said the attack included swarms of bomb-carrying drones as well as ballistic missiles. Air raid sirens began to blare in Jerusalem around 1:45 a.m. local time.
CNN journalist Nic Robertson, reporting live from Jerusalem, said he could see multiple “intercepts” in the air, as aircraft or missile defense systems destroyed incoming attacks, but had not heard any impacts.
Iran said the attack is a response for an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, which it blames on Israel.
“This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours,” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a written statement. “President Biden has been clear: Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.”
The U.S. military shot down some of the drones headed to Israel, U.S. officials told Reuters.
The attack is the first time Iran “launched a direct military assault on Israel,” the Associated Press reported from Jerusalem.
“This is the moment for the United States to show we stand together with our allies. Our shared enemies, including Iran and their proxies, need to know our commitment is unwavering. We must join with Israel to ensure that Iran’s aggression is met with resolute action and resounding strength,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.
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