Iran launches 350 missiles, drones at Israel; 99% shot down by missile defence

Iran has launched over 350 missiles and drones at Israel overnight Saturday, marking the first time Tehran attacks Israel directly. 

30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, along with drones from, setting off sirens in southern, central and northern Israel, including Jerusalem.

IDF said that 99% of the missiles and drones were shot down by missile defence system.

A seven-year-old girl was seriously wounded by a shrapnel in the Bedouin city of Arad. Attacks were also launched from Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

“The State of Israel was attacked tonight by hundreds of missiles and drones, and the Israel Defense Forces stopped the attack in an impressive manner,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.

“The whole world saw who Iran is tonight: A terrorist state that attacks the State of Israel from a distance of 1,500 kilometres and tries to activate all its proxies. But the world has also seen the power of coalition, and how Israel together with the U.S. and other countries is standing up and stopping this attack in an unparalleled manner,” he added.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari also applauded Israel’s missile defence system, calling it a “very significant strategic achievement. The Iranian threat met the aerial and technological superiority of the IDF, combined with a strong fighting coalition, which together intercepted the vast majority of the threats.”

Hagari warned that “the incident is not over, more threats are on the way” and that the [IDF chief of staff “approved plans for the near future. Iran carried out a serious act when it pushed the Middle East towards escalation.”

President Biden announced that the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the Middle East in the past week and that they helped Israel down nearly all the missiles and drones.

“I condemn Iran’s attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel,” Biden said.

Jordan and the UK also joined Israel in defending against the attacks. A number of countries condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, including Japan, Canada, UK, Germany and France, along with EU.

Israel has vowed to retaliate harshly to the attack, but is expected to coordinate its response with the U.S.