The IDF has confirmed that Iran has begun its attack on the State of Israel, launching hundreds of kamikaze suicide drones towards the Jewish State. It’s estimated that the first of three waves is expected to reach Israel between 2:30 to 4:30 AM on Sunday morning (Israel time). A video from Iran shows drones flying overhead that appear to be Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
Hundreds of drones from Iran are on their way to Israel as well as cruising missiles.
This is Iran’s official declaration of war on Israel. They have officially proclaimed their desire to destroy the State of Israel and have been working for years to promote terrorism with the… pic.twitter.com/LbpUS5XXuf— יוסף חדאד – Yoseph Haddad (@YosephHaddad) April 13, 2024
In addition, there are unconfirmed reports that Iran has also launched missiles at Israel.
#BREAKING
Iranian Cruise Missiles spotted over #Iraq. pic.twitter.com/mK6VGnYjgs— Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) April 13, 2024
Most of the drones have been launched from Iran, though Yemen has joined in the action too.
Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordan Lebanon and Egypt have all closed their airspace.
Israel and the US have been shooting down the drones over Iraq, Syria and over other Arab countries. Israeli planes have entered Jordanian airspace to shoot the drones down.
Update (Sunday 1:30 AM IST): Reports state some 100 drones have been shot down so far.
Iran launched UAVs from within its territory toward Israel a short while ago.
The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation. The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a… pic.twitter.com/eEySouGVcN
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 13, 2024
“A short while ago, Iran launched UAVs from within its territory toward Israel,” the IDF said in a statement at around 11:10 pm local time.
“The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation. The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space. The IDF is monitoring all targets.
“We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter.”
According to a statement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) posted on its Telegram channel, the drones are expected to reach Israel within a six-hour window. A missile fired from the Islamic Republic would take about five minutes, according to the post.
That statement is disputed by Israeli sources, however, who say Israelis will have a 12-minute warning if Iran launches a ballistic missile at the Jewish State, and that it could take between six to nine hours for suicide drones to reach Israeli territory.
Here’s what the arrival times look like:
Hypersonic Cruise missile – 10 minutes
Cruise missile – < 1 hour
Ballistic missile – 4 hours
Suicide Drone/UAV – 6-9+ hours
An unconfirmed source has said the different types of projectiles may be launched to arrive together.
To reach Israel, they must first pass at least four separate defense systems, starting with warships, Patriot systems stationed in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and American bases in the Middle East, Israeli defense systems and Israeli fighter jets.
There are also reports that the IDF is currently attacking sites in Lebanon. There are unconfirmed reports of large explosions in Tehran on Saturday night.
Stay tuned …
