American military forces in the Middle East shot down a number of drones launched by Iran in its large attack against Israel this weekend. The news comes as Israel was the target of hundreds of drones and missiles launched by Iran.
A Pentagon official told Fox News that it was involved in the effort to shoot down Iranian drones flying toward Israel. According to Fox News, the official said that American “forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region.”
Israeli air defenses shot down dozens of the drones launched toward the country. Iran also launched a series of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles toward Israel. The attack was launched from Iran, the first time that Tehran has launched such an attack on Israel.
Footage showing one of the Impacts of an Iranian Medium-Range Ballistic Missile earlier in the Negev Desert of Southern Israel. pic.twitter.com/QExRPcGMey
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 13, 2024
Jordan allowed for the overflight of American and Israeli fighter jets to shoot down the drones headed toward Israel. Furthermore, Jordan reportedly ordered the shootdown of any Iranian assets flying over its airspace.
The Iranian attack was joined by limited rocket strikes launched by the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah.
The Iranian attack represents a sharp escalation in the longtime rivalry between Jerusalem and Tehran.
The conflict gained momentum after an Israeli strike against leading Iranian officials in Damascus, Syria two weeks ago. The attack killed several leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Washington ranked as a terrorist organization.
The airstrike represented the largest attack on the IRGC since former President Donald Trump ordered the attack that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Iran similarly launched a series of American bases that injured American troops but did not result in any deaths.
Iran claimed that its attack was concluded on Saturday, but there were a number of additional missile launches following the statement.
President Joe Biden returned to the White House from a weekend trip in Delaware to watch the unfolding situation in the Middle East. The White House insisted that Washington has an ironclad commitment to aid Israel.
