According to a defense official from the Daily Caller News Foundation, U.S. troops successfully intercepted Iranian attack drones that were targeting Israel. This comes as a response to Israel’s airstrikes, which resulted in the deaths of senior Iranian military commanders. Earlier on Saturday, Iran launched an attack on Israel using numerous explosive one-way attack drones, possibly Shaheds. Although it is uncertain how many drones were shot down by U.S. troops or where the interceptions occurred, efforts to protect Israel from further aerial attacks are still ongoing, as confirmed by the defense official.
“U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel,” the defense official said. “Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran asserted that they launched cruise missiles towards targets in Israel, as reported by Axios. In response, Israel, along with the U.S. and their allies, collaborated to intercept as many missiles as possible before they reached Israeli airspace.
Iran issued a warning to retaliate against American troops stationed in the Middle East if the Biden administration interfered in support of Israel prior to or during an attack. In anticipation of potential threats, the U.S. deployed additional military resources to the region on Friday to enhance deterrence and readiness for any potential military actions.
First visual sight of an Iranian attack drone over southern Iraq, headed towards Israel.
Appears to be a Shahed-136, used heavily by the Russians against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/WXUQVzn3uj
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 13, 2024
The White House National Security Council officially verified on Saturday evening that Iran had initiated an “aerial assault” against Israel, as stated in a press release. President Biden was receiving frequent updates on the matter and staying in touch with Israeli officials along with leaders from other nations.
“This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours. President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad,” the statement read.