Iran launched drones from its own territory toward Israel late Saturday, days after its Supreme Leader warned it would hit back in response to an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that left several generals dead.
Earlier Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had for weeks “been preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran.”
The Prime Minister said Israel’s “air defenses are deployed, we are ready for any scenario, both in attack and in defense.”
“I established a clear principle — whoever hurts us, we hurt him. We will protect ourselves from any threat and we will do so with coolness and determination,” he said.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.
Saturday night’s attack came just hours after President Biden cut short a weekend trip to his Delaware beach house and returned to the White House to monitor the unfolding crisis.
Earlier this week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had promised to retaliate against Israel, saying “it will be punished” for the April 1 strike in Damascus that he described as a “wrongdoing” and akin to an attack on Iran itself.
Prior to the attack, the U.S. State Department announced it was restricting travel for government employees and their family members outside of major cities in Israel as concerns remained high that Iran could strike.
ISRAELI PM, MILITARY LEADERS HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING OVER IRAN ATTACK CONCERNS
Senior Israeli leaders also held a meeting Friday on the matter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, U.S. CENTCOM Commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla and the Israeli security echelon at the Hatzor Israeli Air Force base.
US RESTRICTS STAFF IN ISRAEL FROM TRAVELING OUTSIDE CITIES
The airstrike in Syria left 12 people dead, including seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members. Israel has not acknowledged any involvement in the airstrike.
One of those killed has been identified as Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps.
In 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Zahedi, describing him as playing a key role in Iran’s support of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
