Israel Iran tension: US destroyed over 80 Iranian drones headed towards Israel

The Pentagon has reported that the United States destroyed over 80 UAVs and at least six ballistic missiles launched by Iran towards Israel, according to a statement from the US Central Command on Sunday. This includes intercepting a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and neutralizing seven UAVs on the ground in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen before their launch.

Iran had launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel in response to an attack on its consulate in Syria on April 1. However, the majority of these Iranian drones and missiles were intercepted by Israeli, US, and allied forces before reaching their intended targets.

“On April 13 and the morning of April 14, US Central Command forces, supported by US European Command destroyers, successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen,” the command stated.

The statement continued, emphasizing Iran’s “unprecedented, malign, and reckless behavior” that poses a threat to regional stability and the safety of US and coalition forces. CENTCOM reiterated its commitment to supporting Israel’s defense against such actions by Iran and vowed to collaborate with regional partners to enhance security.

US President Joe Biden condemned the attacks by Iran and its proxies in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq against Israeli military facilities, calling them unprecedented. He stated that the US military had deployed aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region to assist Israel in defending against these threats.

“Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,” Biden affirmed.

The Group of Seven (G-7) leaders also condemned Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack on Israel, expressing concerns about the potential for uncontrollable escalation in the region. Israel denounced the attack as a violation of the UN Charter and international law, blaming Iran for exacerbating regional instability.