Tag: iran

Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, US official tells CNN, as region braces for further escalation

Israel has carried out a military strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN Friday, a potentially dangerous escalation in a fast widening Middle East conflict that Iranian government officials have so far sought to play down.

Iran’s air defense systems were activated in the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz after three explosions were heard close to a major military airbase near Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning.

Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, said the explosions in the sky above Isfahan were related to anti-aircraft systems shooting at what he called a suspicious object, which did not cause any damage, Iranian state news IRNA reported. Other Iranian officials said air defenses intercepted three drones and there were no reports of a missile attack.

Iran has not identified the source of the strike.

The United States was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, a second senior US official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later confirmed the US “has not been involved in any offensive operations,” but was focusing on Israel’s defense and de-escalation.

The US was “informed at the last minute” about the attack on Iran, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said at a news conference to conclude a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) nations in Capri, Italy, which Blinken also attended.

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The attack on Nevatim airbase: the truth behind the propaganda

By now, most of the world knows that Iran launched a multi-faceted attack against Israel about 48 hours ago.  The “fallout” from that attack is now becoming frighteningly clear, and it has Defense Experts TERRIFIED.

As the attack was in-progress, Iran undertook a very unusual, and apparently foolish, series of steps.  They announced they had launched drones and then cruise missiles against Israel.  They announced this despite the fact the drones and missiles still had 57 more minutes to travel before reaching their targets!   

Expert Observers thought it very strange – and foolish – that an attacker would give out such information while the very weapons they launched had not yet arrived.  It gave Israel and its allies time to go after those weapons, which they did.

Well . . . it turns out this was not strange or foolish – it was planned.  Iran launched the old dregs of their arsenal!  First generation drones. First generation cruise missiles.  What they launched was the junk they had laying around for years!  Slow moving, loud, junk.  Iran WANTED Israeli defenses to focus on that old junk, and not on what they would fire next: Ballistic Missiles.

Many of the drones simply fell out of the sky from malfunctions.  Others were easily intercepted by fighter jets from Israel, the US, and the UK, with some help from French naval assets in the Mediterranean Sea. 

There was a much-heralded “99% interception success rate” broadcast around the world for all to hear.  Turns out, there’s a problem.  A MAJOR problem: Iran’s Ballistic Missiles.   A few of them, got through.

Almost no one noticed this “problem” because there has been no media coverage of it, until this article.

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WHY? Seattle Police Department Announces They Are ‘Closely Monitoring Conflict Between Israel and Iran’

The Seattle Police Department has announced that they are ‘Closely Monitoring Conflict Between Israel and Iran’ for some reason.

Don’t the police in Seattle have A LOT more pressing issues to keep an eye on, right at home in their own city?

Is it possible that this is some bizarre effort to endear the police to the crazy leftists in Seattle who are obsessed with what’s happening in the Middle East?

They actually put out an announcement about this.

From their blotter:

SPD is Closely Monitoring Conflict Between Israel and Iran

The Seattle Police Department is closely monitoring the conflict between Israel and Iran and are working with local and federal agencies to ensure the safety of Seattle community members.

As a precaution, we will proactively increase patrols around infrastructures and sensitive areas. SPD’s Community liaisons are working with community leaders as a prevention measure. Currently there are no specific or credible threats.

As always SPD is committed to the safety of Seattle community members.

People have thoughts about this.

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Biden OK’d Iran Strike, Tells Israel To ‘Take The Win’: Reports

Reports are circulating that the Biden Administration green lighted Iran’s attack on Israel, stipulating that it had to be “within certain limits,” and is now telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ‘take the win,’ rather than retaliate.

Reuters reports that Iran informed Turkey in advance of its planned operation against Israel, according to a Turkish diplomatic source, who explained that Washington had conveyed to Tehran via Ankara that any action it took must not cross any red lines.

The source further told Reuters that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had spoken to both his U.S. and Iranian counterparts in the past week regarding the planned Iranian attack, and that all parties were aware it was going to happen.

“Iran informed us in advance of what would happen. Possible developments also came up during the meeting with [U.S. Secretary of State Antony] Blinken, and they (the U.S.) conveyed to Iran through us that this reaction must be within certain limits,” the source said.

“In response, Iran said the reaction would be a response to Israel’s attack on its embassy in Damascus and that it would not go beyond this,” the source added.

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Israel’s Defense Against Iran Attack Overnight ‘Likely Cost Over $1 Billion’

It cost Israel more than $1bn to activate its defense systems that intercepted Iran’s massive drone and missile attack overnight,  according to a former financial adviser to Israel’s military. 

“The defence tonight was on the order of 4-5bn shekels [$1-1.3bn] per night,” estimated Brigadier General Reem Aminoach in an interview with Ynet news.

Aminoach highlighted that the staggering price tag stands in contrast to the relatively low amount that Iran had spent to launch its assault, which some estimates have put at less than 10 percent of what it cost Israel to stop the attack. 

Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel on Saturday, in response to an Israeli attack on its consulate in Syria that killed two senior Revolutionary Guard commanders earlier this month.

Israel said its military forces and its allies had intercepted 99 percent of the missiles, but some ballistic missiles penetrated Israeli defences and hit the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. 

“If we’re talking about ballistic missiles that need to be brought down with an Arrow system, cruise missiles that need to be brought down with other missiles, and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], which we actually bring down mainly with fighter jets,” he said. 

“Then add up the costs – $3.5m for an Arrow missile, $1m for a David’s Sling, such and such costs for jets. An order of magnitude of 4-5bn shekels.”

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Gulf Allies Warn US Not To Launch Strikes On Iran From Their Territory

America’s Gulf allies say they don’t want to get caught in the crossfire of any potential US/Israel and Iran shooting war. The United States has made it clear that it is ready to assist Israel in any potential response to Iranian attack. Tehran is poised to imminently retaliate for the April 1st Israeli airstrikes on its embassy in Damascus.

The Arab Gulf countries are worried that the US could launch attacks on Iran from their territories or airspace. Middle East Eye (MEE) reports, “Gulf monarchies are urging the US not to use American military bases on their territories to strike in response to any potential Iranian attack on Israel,” according to security sources.

“The US’s Gulf allies are working overtime to shut down avenues that could link them to a US reprisal against Tehran or its proxies from bases inside their kingdoms, according to a senior US official who spoke with MEE on condition of anonymity,” the report continues. 

This is to include warplanes, as the US Air Forces utilizes various airbases in the region. US allies said to have expressed serious concern include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Kuwait.

Naturally, these countries are worried that Iran could strike back directly on their territories in response to any potential US strikes.

MEE writes that these have “raised questions about the intricate details of basing agreements that permit tens of thousands of US troops to be stationed across the oil-rich peninsula.” Further, “They are also moving to prevent US warplanes from flying over their airspace in the event the US conducts a retaliatory strike on Iran.”

Rumors have persisted throughout Friday that some countries have even warned that US troops could be banned from their territories should the US carry out aggression against Iran from out of the Gulf region, but such specific threats of shuttering bases have not been confirmed.

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Top US General Spotted At Central Israel Airbase Just As Iran Attack Looms

At a moment US intelligence has indicated that Iran could strike Israeli soil in the next 24 to 48 hours, a top US general was spotted at an airbase in central Israel on Friday. US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at Hatzor Airbase “a short while ago,” according to Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian.

The two defense officials discussed “readiness for an Iranian attack against the State of Israel, which may lead to regional escalation,” an official statement of the visit by Gallant’s said. Given it could be “bombs away” at any moment, is it a good idea for America’s top regional general to be hanging out at one of the very bases which could be directly targeted?

“Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true, they are bringing us together and strengthening our ties. We stand shoulder to shoulder,” Gallant’s statement continued.

“I am certain that the world sees the true face of Iran, the terrorist body that incites terror attacks across the Middle East, and funds Hamas, Hezbollah, and additional forces [proxies], and now also threatens the State of Israel,” the Israeli defense chief added. “We are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with our partners, and we will know how to respond.”

It goes without saying that if top US military officials are currently on the ground and find themselves in the attack path when Iranian missiles are launched, it could be a direct trigger for massive regional war, given Washington wouldn’t hesitate to respond in a big way against Tehran in that scenario.

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US Could Launch Joint Retaliatory Strikes With Israel If It Is Attacked By Iran: Official

Upping the ante, a US official has told Al Jazeera that the Pentagon could intervene militarily if there is an Iranian attack launched against Israel.

According to a translation from Al Jazeera Arabic, the US source said, “We do not rule out launching joint retaliatory strikes with Israel if it is attacked by Iran or its agents.”

There was no further elaboration, or an indicator whether a US joint response with Israel would include offensive strikes against Iran, or if this would just be defensive, for example – anti air measures. However, Axios has the following details which appears to confirm the Al Jazeera reporting:

The senior U.S. military commander in charge of the Middle East is expected to go to Israel Thursday to coordinate around a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, two Israeli officials said.

…The commander of the U.S. military central command (CENTCOM) Gen. Erik Kurilla is expected to meet senior Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.

Yesterday, Israeli officials threatened that Iranian nuclear sites could be targeted, in one of the biggest strike threats to date. The region is on edge awaiting an ‘imminent’ response by Iran following the April 1st deadly attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus. US intelligence has said it believes a revenge attack from Tehran is coming soon.

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Israel ‘preparing to strike Iranian NUCLEAR facilities’ amid tense wait for revenge attack and soaring WW3 fears

ISRAEL is preparing to strike Iranian nuclear plants if faced with a revenge attack for the death of a top Tehran commander last week.

Netanyahu‘s war cabinet has been locked in crunch meetings over fears that Iran will launch an assault as Middle East tensions threaten to boil over into all-out war.

Now a Western security official has revealed that Israel will respond to any attacks by striking Iran‘s nuclear targets directly.

Israeli forces have been conducting secret air force drills in preparation for the dangerous escalation, Elaph News reports.

Iran is home to several nuclear sites – including power plants, uranium mines and research reactors.

A targeted attack against one of them could mark an unprecedented escalation in the melting pot of Middle East conflict.

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“IDF At War”: Israel Scrambles GPS Signal As Iran Revenge Attack Imminent

With ever-present fears, Tehran could launch a missile or drone attack against Israel to avenge the deaths of three commanders and four officers of the Iranian Armed Forces, taken out by a precision Israeli airstrike at the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus earlier this week. New data suggests that GPS jamming across Israel is likely related to prudent defensive efforts to counter such an attack. 

On Thursday, Reuters journalists and Tel Aviv residents said GPS service deteriorated and, in some cases, entirely disrupted as an attempt by the military to prevent guided missiles and drones from hitting critical high-value targets deep within the nation. 

Many bombs, drones, and other weapons use GNSS (global navigation satellite systems) for increased accuracy. Signs of GNSS signals disrupted are more evidence Israel is on the defensive as it awaits missile attacks from Iran. 

Data from the GPS interference website “GPSJAM” shows large swaths of Israel have high levels of GPS interference. 

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