What Will Iran’s Attack on Israel Mean? Live Updates

Overnight Saturday, Iran conducted an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, launching hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles on Israeli targets. Israel says it and its allies, including the U.S., almost entirely intercepted the air assault, and that the strikes caused only minor damage to one Israeli military base. So far, there’s only been one reported injury, a ten-year-old child who was hospitalized in serious condition after being struck by shrapnel from one of the interceptions.

The attack was in retaliation for Israel’s April 1 airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Syria, which killed two Iranian generals and five other military officers. Iran’s government has signaled that it now views the matter “concluded,” but it’s not yet clear if or how Israel will respond, or how involved the U.S. might be in that response. (The White House has reiterated that U.S. support for Israel remains “ironclad.”) There’s no question that the dramatic escalation in violence between the two countries risks triggering a wider and potentially destabilizing regional war, far beyond the ramifications of what’s already happening in Gaza. Below is a running look at how various analysts, experts, and other commentators are responding to the news and what they’re saying about what might or should happen next.

There's something to be said about the Islamic Republic of Iran firing missiles and drones that are passing above the third holiest site in Islam. (via Telegram) pic.twitter.com/nba62gzxW0

— Holly Dagres (@hdagres) April 13, 2024