Israel considers Iranian attack response as U.S. and allies urge caution
Following the Biden administration’s statement that the United States would not participate in any retaliatory strikes, Israel’s war council convened for a second day to consider a reaction to Iran’s missile and drone attack that occurred over the weekend. Iranian officials were criticized by world leaders, who urged them to exercise moderation. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, made comments that were disseminated on social media during a visit to the destroyed Nevatim air base, during which Israel promised a response to the attack, but did not specify how.
BY SIRAJ APRIL 16 2024 7:30 AM EST
What you should know is as follows:
According to government spokesperson David Mencer, Israel’s military council met again on Monday to plan how to respond to the Iranian attack. He said that Israel “retains all its options.” The more than 300 missiles and armed drones that Tehran launched were intercepted with help from the US, UK, France, and Jordan.
“We defeated that attack together with our partners,” President Biden said to reporters on Monday. According to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, the attack “was defeated” by Israel, the United States, and other countries, not because Iran exercised restraint.
To consider Iran’s strike, the U.N. Security Council convened an extraordinary meeting on Sunday. Iran’s representative, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the council that Tehran “has no intention of engaging in conflict with the U.S.” and does not seek escalation. According to the Israeli envoy, Iran “crossed every red line.”
An explosion close to the border with Lebanon caused injuries to four troops, one of them seriously, according to the IDF. Hezbollah leaders said in a statement on Monday that Israeli forces had been injured as a result of the militant Lebanese organization planting and detonating explosive devices in the border region.
A cease-fire agreement in Gaza has not moved forward. The most recent Israeli proposal for Hamas to halt its onslaught in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages detained in Gaza since October 7 was turned down over the weekend. Hamas reiterated in a statement its desire for an ongoing cease-fire and the evacuation of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since the start of the conflict, at least 33,797 people have died and 76,465 have been injured in Gaza. The ministry does not make a distinction between civilians and fighters, although it does state that women and children make up the majority of the deceased.
Israel claims that since Hamas started its military offensive in Gaza, 260 troops have died, and it estimates that 1,200 Palestinians, including over 300 soldiers, were murdered in the group’s Oct. 7 attack.
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Johnson risks dividing Israel aid from Ukraine cash.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defied Republicans who threatened to remove him from the speakership if he proceeded with money for Ukraine by releasing an overview of his proposal to address the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East on Monday night, following months of delay.
However, Johnson (R-La.) runs the risk of pleasing no one with a complicated scheme to appease conservative opponents of him while simultaneously providing national security hawks with an opportunity to push billions of dollars’ worth of aid to Taiwan, Israel, and the Ukraine.
In essence, Johnson intends to separate aid for Israel—which was hit by a flurry of Iranian missiles and drones over the weekend in retaliation for a deadly airstrike on its consulate in Syria—from aid for Ukraine, which is more contentious within his conference, by introducing four separate bills to the floor. After that, the speaker will introduce separate votes to support Taiwan’s help and a resolution to appease Republican concerns over foreign policy, which include seizing a Russian asset.
The beleaguered Johnson, who was thrust to the forefront of the divided GOP conference following Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) historic expulsion, is taking a big risk with this move. The former low-key congressman has struggled to unite his conference over nearly any topic and has been forced to rely on Democrats for support on important issues, such as maintaining government operations.
Despite the thin two-vote GOP majority, Johnson plans to attempt to pass the legislation through regular order, which requires a simple majority for passage. This is an extremely impossible task that will require the cooperation of nearly every Republican.
Johnson plans to move a bill on Ukraine, which may lead Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to vote to remove him from office. If the speaker permits any vote on Ukraine aid, Greene is threatening to take that action.
Johnson’s plan was called a “scam” by Greene, who hasn’t yet said if she will take legal action to try to remove him.
Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro (R-N.Y.) reminded Johnson at the conference that “this is a very important moment for America not to shirk from its responsibility.” Molinaro countered that the speaker urged people to “vote your conscience,” not to support his idea.
About Iran’s Shahed-136 drone
Saturday marked Iran’s first aggressive move since April 1, when two Iranian generals were killed in an Israeli raid on a diplomatic building in Damascus, Syria. The missile fire lasted five hours and was directed toward Israel. According to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles were launched into Israel during the Iranian onslaught. However, it is worth noting that 99 percent of these projectiles were intercepted before they could land.
Among Iran’s aerial weapons, the Shahed-136 drone stood out. It was an Iranian-made precision strike munition with a range of up to 1,500 miles. On Saturday night, the Shahed-136 drone was seen swooping over Iraq. According to a statement released by Central Command, the United States military agency in charge of operations in the Middle East, approximately 80 of these drones were shot down by troops in Europe and the United States before they could enter Israeli airspace.
A self-detonating precision attack drone, the Shahed-136 can fly vast distances. The compact munition, which measures 11 feet in length and weighs 440 pounds, can transport more than 100 pounds of explosives to a predetermined target up to 1,500 miles distant. This low-cost military asset is envy of the military for its range and accuracy.
“The standard bomb on a military aircraft weighs about 500 pounds,” stated Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East expert with Jane’s Defense Intelligence. The Shahed-136 drone can hit targets within five meters (16 feet) with pinpoint accuracy. You don’t need big explosives on board if you can hit something straight.
In order to reach its destination, the Shahed-136 drone relies on a ready-made satellite guiding system. The combination of this relatively simple guidance mechanism with antennae that are immune to jamming enables the drone to stay on course even when other drones that are operated by radio or camera are out of range.
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As war cabinet meets, Israel claims it ‘retains all its options’ to respond.
Monday was the second day in a row that the war cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened to deliberate Israel’s reaction to the Iranian attack. “Israel retains all its options,” stated David Mencer, a government spokesman, during a news briefing. “To defend this country, we will do everything in our power, and we reserve the right to do everything in our power.”
White House officials have repeatedly stated their desire to see regional tensions reduced and their refusal to take part in any kind of aggressive response from Israel. During President Biden’s virtual meeting with the Group of Seven on Sunday, further penalties on Iran were discussed.
As Biden informed reporters at the White House on Monday, “Together with our partners, we defeated that attack.” So said Biden. When it comes to Israel’s safety, the US will not waver.
During a teleconference with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday evening, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is a member of the war cabinet, thanked the United States for its involvement in blocking the Iranian attack, according to an Israeli readout. “The opportunity to establish an international coalition and strategic alliance to counter the threat posed by Iran was highlighted by Minister Gallant,” the statement stated.
According to Israeli media outlets, the panel spent hours debating Sunday’s meeting agenda before ultimately failing to reach a consensus. Galatz, an Israeli military radio station, reports that at that conference, participants discussed the idea of Israel joining a diplomatic coalition led by the United States to put sanctions on Tehran, which would mean delaying any response against Iran.
Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz are both members of Israel’s war cabinet, which was convened in reaction to the Oct. 7 onslaught by Hamas to manage the conflict in Gaza.
