Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei thanked the country's armed forces for their operation against Israel on April 13, and urged them to "ceaselessly pursue military innovation and learn the enemy's tactics," Iran's official news agency IRNA reported Sunday.

The comments from Khamenei signal Tehran's open acknowledgment of targeting Israel for the first time with over 300 missiles and drones earlier this month. Iran said the strikes on April 13 were retaliation for Israel's suspected deadly bombing of its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.

"How many missiles were launched and how many of them hit their target is not the primary question," Khamenei stated. "What really matters is that Iran demonstrated its will-power during that operation."

While explosions rocked the Iranian city of Isfahan early Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, Tehran downplayed the incident and said it had no plans for retaliation – a measured response seen as aimed at averting a wider regional war.

Khamenei's robust praise for the military operation against Israel, coupled with his call for the forces to enhance their capabilities, highlights Iran's continued hostility and willingness to confront its arch-foe Israel despite the recent restraint. The Supreme Leader's comments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel as efforts to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal remain stalled.

The remarks follow Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian downplaying recent strikes on Iran, denying a proven link to Israel and describing the drones involved as mere "toys." While Iranian officials called Friday's explosions in Isfahan an attack by "infiltrators," Amirabdollahian warned of a "maximum" retaliation if Israel acted against Iran's interests.

Khamenei also called on Iran's military to "ceaselessly pursue military innovation and learn the enemy's tactics," according to the report. The strikes targeted an Iranian Air Force base near Isfahan but caused no major damage or strikes on strategic sites, according to reports. Israel has not commented.

One Western diplomat claimed anonymously that Israel struck the airbase with missiles fired from outside Iran, suggesting the incident exposed vulnerabilities in Iran's air defenses despite Tehran's attempt to downplay it. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied American involvement in any offensive operations against Iran.

The allegations come amid heightened tensions as efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal remain stalled.

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According to an exclusive report from DailyMail.com, the US Air Force has quietly deployed a new type of missile that can destroy the electronics of Iran's nuclear facilities using high-power microwaves, without causing any fatalities.

The missiles, known as the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP), were developed by Boeing's Phantom Works for the US Air Force Research Laboratory. After successful testing in 2012, around 20 of these microwave missiles became operational and were deployed to various locations around the globe in 2019.

As DailyMail.com reports, the CHAMP missiles are air-launched cruise missiles fitted with an electromagnetic pulse cannon that generates a concentrated beam of high-power microwave energy. This energy can fry the computer chips and electronic systems of targeted facilities, rendering them inoperable.

"We hit every target we wanted to," said Boeing's CHAMP Program Manager Keith Colman after the successful 2012 test, adding "Today we made science fiction into science fact."

Mary Lou Robinson, former chief of the Air Force's High Power Microwave Division, confirmed to DailyMail.com that the missiles are "ready to take out any military target, including nuclear facilities."

The key advantage of these microwave weapons is that they can penetrate buried bunkers and command centers through electrical and communications connections, disabling electronics without causing structural damage or loss of life. "The beauty of the HPM missile is that its microwave beam can penetrate bunkers where facilities are hidden without harming humans inside," DailyMail.com reports.

They also have the ability to disable defensive radar systems, striking their targets undetected. "Most amazing of all, the missile renders inoperable any radar that might detect it as it flies to and from a target. Thus, a country cannot take out CHAMP before it strikes and has no way of knowing why its facilities have suddenly gone dead," according to DailyMail.com.

While details are limited due to operational security concerns, the existence of this operational microwave missile capability highlights the stealthy options available to the US military to counter threats like Iran's nuclear program through electronic disruption rather than kinetic force.

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Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday, hours after sources said Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.

Israeli missiles have hit a site in Iran, ABC News reported late on Thursday, citing a US official, while Iranian state media reported an explosion in the center of the country, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.

Iran's Fars news agency said an explosion was heard at an airport in the central city of Isfahan but the cause was not immediately known. Iran suspended flights over the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, state media reported.

Several Iranian nuclear sites are located in Isfahan province, including Natanz, the centerpiece of Iran's uranium enrichment program.

Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport was closed to all flights until 0700 GMT, according to a notice to airmen posted on a US Federal Aviation Administration database. Some Emirates and Flydubai flights that were flying over Iran early on Friday made sudden sharp turns away from the airspace, according to flight paths shown on the tracking website Flightradar24.

Israel had said it would retaliate against Iran's weekend attack, which involved hundreds of drones and missiles in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria. Most of the Iranian drones and missiles were downed before reaching Israeli territory.

Analysts and observers have been raising concerns about the risks of the Israel-Gaza war spreading into the rest of the region.

Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel "must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests" as the UN secretary-general warned that the Middle East was in a "moment of maximum peril."

Oil prices and jumped on the reports of the Israeli strike. Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose 2% to $88.86 a barrel, the dollar gained broadly, gold XAU= rose 1% and S&P 500 futures ESc1 dropped 1%. MKTS/GLOB

Israel's assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Iran-backed groups have declared support for Palestinians, launching attacks from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.

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Lebanon's Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones on an Israeli military facility in Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday, in response to the Israeli killing of Hezbollah members and commanders in Lebanon. This escalation comes as tensions between Israel and Iran are reaching new heights after a series of strikes and counterstrikes.

Video: A Hezbollah drone explodes in northern Israel

Hezbollah says it targeted a military facility in the border town of Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday to avenge the killing of a number of its fighters, including a commander, in Israeli strikes the day before. Israeli media said the rockets struck a community center.

The Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom said 18 people were wounded, four of them seriously. It didn't identify them or say whether they were soldiers or civilians. The Israeli military said it identified a number of launches in the area and struck the sources of the rocket fire. It said it also targeted a compound in southern Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied with the Palestinian Hamas terrorist group, have traded fire on a near-daily basis since the start of the war in Gaza.

Hezbollah had said earlier Wednesday that it fired guided missiles at an air traffic base in northern Israel, striking and damaging equipment.

Video: IDF shows fragments of missiles fired by Iran on Israel / Credit: x/@idf

World powers are striving to prevent a wider outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. Washington and other Western governments hope new economic sanctions against Iran will help persuade Israel to limit the scope of its retaliation. Cameron said Britain wanted to see coordinated sanctions against Iran by the Group of Seven big democracies, who are meeting this week in Italy. "They need to be given a clear unequivocal message by the G7," he said.

Israel is expected to discuss its response to Iran at a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, which also includes centrist rivals brought into the government as a unity gesture after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

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British foreign minister David Cameron said it was clear Israel had made a decision to respond to the Iranian drone and ballistic missile attack and he hoped this would be carried out in a way that minimized escalation.

Video: UK's Cameron: clear Israel has decided to respond to Iran attack / Credit: Reuters

"It's clear the Israelis are making a decision to act," Cameron, who was speaking to reporters in Israel, said on Wednesday. "We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible."

Britain wanted to see coordinated sanctions against Iran, he added. "They need to be given a clear unequivocal message by the G7," he said.

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The US and its allies planned fresh sanctions against Iran over its unprecedented attack on Israel, seeking to dissuade Israel from a major escalation as its war cabinet was set to meet for a third time on Wednesday to decide a response.

While Saturday night's attack caused no deaths and little damage thanks to the air defenses and countermeasures of Israel and its allies, it has increased fears that violence rooted in the six-month-old Gaza war is spreading, with the risk of open war between long-time adversaries Iran and Israel.

Israel's military chief of staff Herzi Halevi had promised Iran's launch of more than 300 missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at Israeli territory "will be met with a response", but gave no details. An Israeli government source said the war cabinet session scheduled for Tuesday had been put off until Wednesday, without elaborating. Hoping to steer Israel away from massive retaliation, the US and Europe flagged a toughening of economic and political sanctions against Iran.

The US is planning to impose new sanctions targeting Iran's missile and drone program in the coming days and expects its allies will be following suit, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Tuesday. Earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US would use sanctions, and work with allies, to keep disrupting Iran's "malign and destabilizing activity".

She told a news conference in Washington that all options to disrupt Iran's "terrorist financing" were on the table, and she expected further sanctions against Iran to be announced soon. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, speaking in Brussels after an emergency video conference of EU foreign ministers, said some member states had asked for sanctions against Iran to be expanded and that the bloc's diplomatic service would begin working on the proposal.

Borrell said the proposal would expand a sanctions regime that seeks to curb the supply of Iranian drones to Russia so that it would also include the provision of missiles and could also cover deliveries to Iranian proxies in the Middle East. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was "leading a diplomatic attack", writing to 32 countries to ask them to place sanctions on Iran's missile program and follow Washington in proscribing its dominant military force, the Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a terrorist group.

Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 attributed to Israel but has signaled that it now deems the matter closed. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekend that the United States, Israel's main protector, would not participate in an Israeli counter-strike.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Netanyahu in a call on Tuesday that escalation in the Middle East was in nobody's interest and would only worsen insecurity in the region, so it was "a moment for calm heads to prevail", Sunak's office said. Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa "strongly urged Israel to exercise restraint" during a call with her Israeli counterpart Israel Katz on Tuesday evening, according to a readout of the call issued by Japan's foreign ministry.

The prospect of Israeli retaliation has alarmed many Iranians already enduring economic pain and tighter social and political controls since major protests in 2022-23. Since the war in Gaza began in October, clashes have erupted between Israel and Iran-aligned groups based in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

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Israel Hayom's "Tomorrow's Conference" opened Tuesday at the International Convention Center in Ashkelon. IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari was a guest at the conference and was asked about a potential response to the Iranian attack, the regional coalition, a framework for a deal to return captives, and the situation on the Israeli home front.

"On Saturday, Iran attacked the State of Israel with 350 different launches. This was stopped, and Iran failed in its attack. It was stopped thanks to capabilities built up in the State of Israel over years in the defense industries. It was stopped thanks to a historic air defense battle that will be studied extensively around the world. A defense battle in which Israeli Air Force pilots downed swarms of aircraft," Hagari said.

Video: Hagari speaks with Israel Hayom on April 16, 2024

"Additionally, something very big happened: a regional coalition led by the US, Britain, and France came together perfectly – in the air, on land, and at sea – and together intercepted 99% of the threat before it entered Israel. In the end, four ballistic missiles hit the Nevatim base without causing damage. Thanks to our operational success on Saturday, we now have many options for how and when to act. We will act properly and at the right time, and any discussion on this matter is unnecessary.

"It is impossible not to respond to such an attack. We will act at the time and place of our choosing, and any discussion about it is unnecessary. We are in a high state of readiness even now as we speak – pilots are here defending the skies, we have fighters on the borders. Just a few minutes ago there was an incident on the northern border with unmanned aircraft.

"In the past six months, we have been working to protect the citizens of the State of Israel. There was a failure on October 7, and since then there has been a great recovery. In recent days, there has been a development due to what happened with Iran, but it also brings strategic opportunities. A coalition arose and said 'No more, we will not allow this.' This is a great opportunity that must be seized. We must remember that our war is in Gaza, we have captives in Gaza, and we must not divert our attention from there."

Hagari lauded Israel's defensive capabilities which were able to intercept 99% of the 350 missiles and drones launched by Iran on Saturday. He credited years of investment in air defense systems as well as the performance of Israeli Air Force pilots in "a historic air defense battle that will be studied extensively around the world."

However, the senior military official made clear that Iran's attempted aggression would not go unanswered.

"It is impossible not to respond to such an attack. We will act at the time and place of our choosing," Hagari stated bluntly. "We are in a high state of readiness even now."

Hagari also revealed that a US-led coalition involving Britain and France played a crucial role in thwarting the Iranian strikes before the projectiles could even reach Israeli airspace.

"A regional coalition led by the US, Britain, and France came together perfectly – in the air, on land, and at sea," he explained. "This brings strategic opportunities. A coalition arose and said 'No more, we will not allow this.'"

Despite the averted crisis with Iran, the IDF spokesman stressed that the military's focus remains on Gaza, where Israeli civilians are being held captive by Hamas militants. He vowed not to "divert our attention from there."

Hagari also addressed the plight of Israeli citizens who have been displaced from their homes for six months due to the conflict. "This is an opportunity to talk about the home front and the residents, especially those who left their homes and are in difficulties that no one can understand, a difficulty that we as a society must be sensitive to," he stated. "In the military, we need to act and do everything we can so they can return home, but only when there is no threat. All Israeli citizens are living in difficulty, and we need to be sensitive and coordinate with the municipalities."

The military spokesman added, "We will do everything we can to ease the situation. We feel the difficulty. Our role is to ease the situation for the public, but the security of the state's residents is paramount. So far, the residents have acted with exemplary responsibility. We need to do everything so that 1.9 million people can return to their schools and homes."

Turning to the captives crisis with Hamas in Gaza, Hagari said "I want to talk about the captives because that's what's important. I don't think Sinwar doesn't want a deal - he wants it on his terms. It was the same during the time of Gilad Schalit."

He vowed that Israel would eventually decapitate the Hamas leadership through targeted killings. "We are at war with Hamas, and on a military level we have defeated 19 out of 24 of their battalions, but it is a terrorist organization and we need to make sure we eliminate the leaders - it will take time but we will get to all of them."

Hagari claimed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is in hiding, speculating "maybe he expected that the Iranian war on Saturday would work in his favor. We need to see that our regional balance is strengthening – this will weaken Hamas. Any action we take in Gaza, in maneuvers and eliminating leaders, needs to advance the return of the captives."

The IDF spokesperson said investigations have already begun to draw lessons, adding "We will also take responsibility at all levels. We must earn the public's trust, and public trust comes with taking responsibility."

Despite the averted crisis with Iran, Hagari stressed the military's focus remains on Hamas. "We will do everything in the IDF, with a wide deployment, to allow the citizens of the State of Israel to sit securely at the Seder night. We are in a complex security reality; if there are changes, we will update the public."

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Israel's security cabinet was weighing a potential military strike against Iran that could come as soon as Monday, just days after the Jewish state repelled an unprecedented wave of missile and drone attacks by Tehran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The discussions came as President Joe Biden urged restraint and rallied allies for a united diplomatic front to prevent the long-simmering conflict from escalating into a broader regional war.

With the timeline for an Israeli retaliation potentially imminent, the race is on to de-escalate soaring tensions and get the hostilities between the two adversaries off the path toward open warfare that could engulf the Middle East and entangle the United States.

Tehran launched what military experts called one of the largest combined aerial assaults in recent history, with over 300 drones and missiles targeting Israeli territory. However, 99% of those projectiles failed to hit their intended targets thanks to an air defense operation coordinated by Israel, the US, UK, France and Arab allies like Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

According to the paper, US officials estimated around half of Iran's ballistic missiles crashed or failed to launch before reaching Israel or being intercepted. The limited damage from the barrage lent momentum to Western efforts urging Israel to hold off on a retaliatory strike for now.

In a call Saturday night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden said Israel should now "proceed with caution" after the successful joint operation thwarting Iran's attack, according to a senior US official. The official told the Wall Street Journal it was "a very useful call" during a "period of heightened emotion" to discuss "where we are and next steps and nobody wants to run up the escalation ladder here."

Biden also convened leaders of the Group of Seven nations on Sunday, who said they would consider new sanctions on Iran over the attacks. The UN Security Council held an emergency session as well. While no decision on an Israeli response was announced, officials indicated the coordinated defensive efforts demonstrated Israel could overcome diplomatic isolation over its policies in Gaza to refocus attention on the Iranian threat.

Israeli media gave extensive coverage to assessments that Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards launched the assault, likely with the blessing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after a year of setbacks including protests at home and suspected Israeli attacks on its nuclear program.

Major outlets like CNN and The New York Times reported new details on the scale of the Iranian strike and collaborative defensive actions that helped protect Israeli lives and infrastructure. But whether the limited Iranian success will prompt restraint or further escalation from Tehran and its allies remains uncertain as Israel weighs its next moves.

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But they did. Throughout last week, US officials were working through the back channels to stop Iran from retaliating against Israelis for the suspected airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria.

On Saturday, April 13, Iran launched over 300 projectiles – including around 170 drones and over 120 ballistic missiles – toward Israel, marking the first time in history that the Islamic Republic has launched a direct attack on Israel through its territory.

While Iran's retaliation was largely unsuccessful, they proved that they don't take American warnings seriously.

Yesterday was the Biden administration's chance to prove to the world that they remain consistent in their message regarding the Islamic Republic. Still, even now, President Joe Biden has made it clear to Israel that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran.

If there are no consequences to Iran's large-scale attack, then there is no need for the Republic ever to take Washington's threats seriously. Iran is at liberty to push the region to full-scale war by activating its proxies across the Middle East.

The Biden administration deserves credit for coming to Israel's defense in the moments that mattered. Despite tension between Biden and Netanyahu, America was instrumental in helping Israel intercept the majority of these Iranian missiles and drones, and they continue to offer tremendous logistical and technological support for Israel and will do so should Israel choose to retaliate.

Iran was likely unprepared for the strategic and diplomatic alliance of the West and Arab countries. The United Kingdom, the United States, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt all worked with Israel to intercept Iranian UAVs and missiles. This alliance and cooperation is truly historic and shows Iran that they are no match for Israeli and Western countermeasures. Iran also demonstrated that they are a threat to the Arab region, showing that the Islamic Republic does not care that Israel's neighbors could get caught in the crossfire of their retaliation campaign.

The Islamic Republic announced that it is considering the matter closed after the end of this attack. Whether or not Israel agrees is a different story. Iranians have warned that should Israel retaliate, it will respond harshly and has warned the United States to stay out of any escalation.

The reality is that this is not just a war between Israel and Iran; this is a war between Islamic fundamentalists that aims to destabilize the entire region against the Western alliances. If Israel decides to retaliate against Iranian aggression, the Western allies cannot sit on the sidelines while we do so.

Last night, everything changed. The Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been funding and arming terror via its proxies and wreaking havoc across the region for years, has finally shown their true colors by launching this assault on Israeli civilians.

Now is the time for an opportunity to create a new Middle East, one that can rid itself of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism; it just requires brave leaders who can show the Islamic Republic that their threats and terrorism will not be tolerated.

The idea of World War III sounds scary, but last night proved that Iran is no match for a united Western front. Israel should never tolerate these types of attacks on its civilians and is justified in a full-throated response against Iranian aggression. This would include attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, targeting Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps bases, or even attacking members of the Islamic Republic in Tehran, all of which are up for discussion.

Whatever happens next, the United States and its allies have a responsibility to stand unequivocally behind Israel and fight this war alongside the only democracy in the Middle East that has tolerated Iran's aggression for too long. This is the time for brave leadership that shows the Islamic Republic what "Don't" truly means.

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President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will not participate in offensive operations against Iran and advised Israel to avoid retaliating over this weekend's unprecedented drone and missile strikes, according to a senior administration official who spoke to NBC News.

In a call on Sunday night, Biden stressed that while the US commitment to defend Israel is "ironclad," Israel should "take the win" and not escalate tensions with Iran since the attack appeared to cause minimal damage and casualties, the official said.

The warning from Biden came as top US officials voiced concerns that Israel could respond quickly to the Iranian assault without fully considering potential fallout, according to a senior administration official and senior defense official cited by news outlets.

Israel claimed its military and allies intercepted 99% of the 300 Iranian drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles before they reached targets. However, the chief of Iran's armed forces threatened a "much larger" attack if Israel retaliated, and warned US bases in the region could be targeted if America joins any Israeli response.

As fears mounted over a broader regional conflict, Biden planned to convene G7 leaders Monday to discuss a "united diplomatic response," while the UN Security Council was also set to meet.

Biden reiterated America's "ironclad" commitment to Israeli security in his call with Netanyahu, according to the NBC News official. But he made clear the US would not join offensive actions against Iran, urging restraint to avoid inflaming the crisis further.

Iran said it struck Israeli territory in retaliation for an April airstrike that killed two Iranian commanders in Syria.

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