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PremiumIran attacks on Israel: Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel has marked a new tension in the Middle East conflict. Iran has defended itself saying the attack was in response to an alleged airstrike done by Israel at its consular offices in Syria in which two generals with its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard were killed on April 1.
However, several world leaders such as US President Joe Biden, and UK PM Rishi Sunak have condemned Iran's action.
Israel said that over 300 drones and missiles were launched by Iran on Saturday night but they successfully intercepted 99% of them.
Notably, Iran's attack has further stoked fears of the war in Gaza that started on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a cross-border attack against Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,729 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Check out the latest updates on Israel-Iran tension
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday warned that the U.S. intends to hit Iran with new sanctions in coming days over its unprecedented attack on Israel, and these actions could seek to reduce Iran's capacity to export oil.
"With respect to sanctions, I fully expect that we will take additional sanctions action against Iran in the coming days," Yellen said told a news conference on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.
"We don't preview our sanctions tools. But in discussions I've had, all options to disrupt terrorist financing of Iran continue to be on the table," Yellen added.
She said that the Treasury and State Department have taken previous action to contain Iran's "destabilizing" behavior by diminishing its ability to export oil. "Clearly, Iran is continuing to export some oil. There may be more that we could do. I don't want to preview our actual sanctions activities, but certainly that remains in focus as a possible area that we could address."
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the main one to blame for Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel.
"The main one responsible for the tension that gripped our hearts on the evening of April 13 is Netanyahu and his bloody administration", the Turkish leader, who regularly criticises Israel and its leadership, said in televised remarks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged all sides in the Middle East to refrain from action that would trigger a new confrontation which he warned would be fraught with catastrophic consequences for the region, the Kremlin said.
Putin, who has forged much closer ties with the Islamic Republic since sending troops into Ukraine in 2022, spoke to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi by phone about what the Kremlin called "retaliatory measures taken by Iran."
Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel late on Saturday in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its Damascus consulate on April 1 that killed seven officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two senior commanders. Putin, in his first publicly aired comments on Iran's attack, said the root cause of the current instability in the Middle East was the unresolved conflict between Palestinians and Israel.
"Vladimir Putin expressed hope that all sides would show reasonable restraint and prevent a new round of confrontation fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region," the Kremlin said. "Ebrahim Raisi noted that Iran's actions were forced and limited in nature," the Kremlin said.
"At the same time, he stressed Tehran's disinterest in further escalation of tensions."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday that she intends to hit Iran with new sanctions in coming days due to its unprecedented attack on Israel, and it could seek to reduce Iran's capacity to export oil.
"With respect to sanctions, I fully expect that we will take additional sanctions action against Iran in the coming days," Yellen said, adding that Iran's oil exports "remains in focus as a possible area that we could address."
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday called for an immediate cease-fire and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on a visit to Islamabad, said that international efforts toward a cease-fire between Israel and the militant group Hamas have been "wholly insufficient."
“We are now actively discussing the potential for famine in Gaza, and it means people are starving to death because humanitarian assistance is not getting to them," he said. “This is an unacceptable situation."
Without directly mentioning an Iranian attack on Israel over the weekend, he said “we are already in an unstable region, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is already inflaming the region. We do not need more conflict in our region, we do not need more confrontation in our region, so it is our position that the de-escalation must be everybody’s priority."
Tensions in the region have ramped up since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,800 people, according to local health officials.
Iran's Deputy Oil Minister Morteza Shahmirzaei told a conference in Moscow via video link on Tuesday that his country was working to ensure that energy exports in the Middle East region are carried out without interruption after an attack on Israel. All countries and players should adhere to the principles of "non-harm" to energy producers to ensure stability, he also said through an interpreter.
Iran has pledged to respond to any action against its interests, a day after Israel warned it will repsond to Tehran's weekend drone and missile attack. "We continue to do everything to ensure that energy exports in our region are carried out without problems; we are committed to stabilising the energy market," Shahmirzaei said.
"We will ensure the stability of the energy market. All countries and players need to adhere to the principles of non-harm to energy producers to ensure stability."
Iran produces more than 3 million barrels per day of crude oil, about 3% of global output, as a major producer within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Israel's war cabinet was set to meet for the third time in three days on Tuesday, an official said, to decide on a response to Iran's first-ever direct attack, amid international pressure to avoid further escalating the conflicts in the Middle East. Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi had promised that Saturday night's launch of more than 300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran into Israeli territory "will be met with a response", but gave no details.
While the attack caused no deaths and little damage, thanks to the air defences and countermeasures of Israel and its allies, it has increased concerns that violence rooted in the Gaza war is spreading, and fears of open war between the long-time foes. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 attributed to Israel, but signalled that it did not seek further escalation.
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. Together with European allies, Washington instead strove on Tuesday to toughen economic and political sanctions in an attempt to persuade Israel to abstain from violent retaliation.
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 programme and follow Washington in proscribing its dominant military force, the Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a terrorist group.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, during a phone call with Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani, issued a stern warning, emphasising that any action against Iran's interests will be met with a severe and extensive response against all those involved, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. Raisi highlighted recent regional developments, emphasising the ongoing plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
He underscored the urgent need for effective measures to halt the Israel's atrocities. He stressed the need to take deterrent measures against the continuation of the Israel's crimes in Gaza, especially by Islamic countries. While the oppressed and powerful people of Gaza are still victorious in the field with their resistance, pedicide, genocide, and horrific crimes by the (Zionists) Isreal, are supported by the United States and some Western countries, he added, according to IRNA.
He condemned the terrorist attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus as a desperate act stemming from the Israel's failure to achieve its objectives in Gaza. Raisi criticised the United Nations and the UN Security Council for failing to condemn the consulate attack, stressing Iran's right to legitimate defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He also cited the necessity of taking deterrent actions against the ongoing crimes of Israel, particularly by Islamic nations.
Israel and Iran traded threats after Tehran's first ever direct attack on its arch foe sharply heightened Middle East tensions and as the Gaza war ground on with no truce in sight. Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi on Monday vowed "a response" after Iran and its allies launched a barrage of over 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel at the weekend.
Iran said its large-scale attack was an act of self-defence following a deadly Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria, and that it would consider the matter "concluded" unless Israel retaliated. However, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi also warned that "the slightest action against Iran's interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response".
US President Joe Biden stressed on Monday that "the United States is committed to Israel's security" but also that he wants to prevent the conflict from spreading. Washington, Israel's top ally and arms supplier, has made clear it will not join Israel in any attack on their common adversary Iran, a senior US official said.
World leaders have urged restraint since Iran's attack on Israel, which has sparked a flurry of crisis diplomacy and sent up oil prices while depressing stock markets.
Germany says seeks further EU sanctions against Iran drones
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is preparing fresh sanctions on Iran in response to Iran's attack on Israel, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a copy of her remarks.
"Treasury will not hesitate to work with our allies to use our sanctions authority to continue disrupting the Iranian regime's malign and destabilizing activity," Yellen is prepared to say Tuesday, as per the Axios report.
"The attack by Iran and its proxies underscores the importance of Treasury's work to use our economic tools to counter Iran's malign activity," she will further say, Axios reported. Yellen said previously that Iran's actions threatened stability in the Middle East and could cause economic spillovers, adding that the U.S. would use sanctions and work with allies.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the civil aviation ministry has asked airlines to carry out their own risk assessment on international flight operations. Air India, Vistara, IndiGo and various international airlines have opted for alternative flight paths to the West and are avoiding the Iranian airspace against the backdrop of tensions flaring up between Iran and Israel.
Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam on Tuesday told PTI that airlines have been asked to make their own risk assessment with respect to their flight operations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is handholding and interacting with the airlines, and also in touch with the external affairs ministry, he added.
The secretary was responding to a query on whether there is an advisory by the ministry or the DGCA to airlines amid the crisis in the Middle East. Air India is operating some of its international flights on alternative flight paths to and from India, and Vistara has also made changes to flight paths for some of its flights due to the Middle East situation.
Israel is still imposing "unlawful" restrictions on humanitarian relief for Gaza, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday, despite assertions from Israel and others that restrictions have eased. Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip triggered by Hamas' cross-border attacks on Oct. 7 has turned much of the Gaza strip into a wasteland, with hundreds of thousands of people now displaced and crowded into the southern corner of the enclave.
The amount of aid now entering Gaza is disputed, with Israel and Washington saying aid flows have risen in recent days but U.N. agencies say it is still far below bare minimum levels required to meet basic needs.
"Israel continues to impose unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance, and to carry out widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office, at a press briefing in Geneva, reiterating calls for unfettered aid access.
Israel, which denies hindering humanitarian relief to Gaza, has faced increased international pressure to let more supplies into the Gaza Strip since it hit an aid convoy on April 1, killing international relief workers. "Those delivering or trying to access humanitarian assistance must never be attacked," added Shamdasani.
Japan's foreign minister urged her Iranian counterpart on Tuesday to "exercise restraint" following Tehran's missile and drone attack on Israel, according to a readout of their telephone talks issued by Tokyo.
Yoko Kamikawa told Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that "Japan is deeply concerned about the attacks by Iran against Israel, which further deteriorate the current situation in the Middle East, and strongly condemns such escalation," the statement said.
She added that "the current situation is not in the interest of the international community as a whole, including Japan, not to mention that of Iran and the Iranian people, and strongly urged Iran to exercise restraint, stating that further escalation of tensions must be prevented," it said.
Kamikawa also "pointed out the importance of freedom of navigation and safety and called for Iran to ensure the safety of navigation in the waters of the region," the statement added.
Japan's foreign minister urged her Iranian counterpart on Tuesday to "exercise restraint" following Tehran's missile and drone attack on Israel, according to a readout of their telephone talks issued by Tokyo.
President Ebrahim Raisi has warned Israel it will face a "painful response" if it takes the "slightest action" in response to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile barrage at the weekend.
Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel, which began on Saturday, was in response to an April 1 air strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus which has been widely blamed on Israel.
Japan urged Iran to exercise restraint following its attack against Israel during a telephone call between the two countries' foreign ministers, the Japanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa also urged that the safety of navigation be ensured in the region's waters in the call with her Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Japanese government said.
Israel's foreign minister said on Tuesday he was urging countries to place sanctions on Iran's missile program and proscribe its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation after Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has postponed his visit to India this week in view of the evolving situation in West Asia following escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran.
The senior Biden administration official was scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on the progress in implementation of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) besides other issues.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi was asked whether he was concerned about the possibility of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility in retaliation for the attack.
"We are always concerned about this possibility. What I can tell you is that our inspectors in Iran were informed by the Iranian government that yesterday (Sunday), all the nuclear facilities that we are inspecting every day would remain closed on security considerations," he said.
Over the weekend, Iran deployed hundreds of drones and missiles in an attack on Israel. Now, Israel weighs its response as US officials and their allies try to prevent further escalation.
China’s top diplomat told Iran that the nations can work together across a range of areas in the future, signaling their ties remain solid following Tehran’s unprecedented attack on Israel.
“China is ready to steadily advance practical cooperation in various fields with Iran and promote greater development of China-Iran relations," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian in a phone call on Monday.
Due to ongoing events in the Middle East, US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan (in file pic) has postponed his trip to India this week. NSA Sullivan looks forward to holding the iCET annual review at the next earliest possible date and remains personally committed to advancing our deeply consequential and multifaceted partnership with India: US Embassy Spokesperson.
Similarly, the President looks forward to the next meeting of the Quad leaders and continuing our efforts with India to deliver results for the American and Indian people, as well as our partners, in support of our shared vision for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific: US Embassy Spokesperson
The Israeli military renewed warnings on Monday for Palestinians not to return to northern Gaza, a day after witnesses and medical officials said Israeli troops opened fire and killed five people among throngs of displaced residents trying to walk back to their homes in the devastated area.
China's foreign minister held phone discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Beijing state media said Tuesday, reporting that Iran said it was "willing to exercise restraint" after its first-ever attack on Israel's territory.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held calls on Monday with counterparts in the Middle East and Europe, expressing support for Israel after attacks from Iran but also stressing regional stability to prevent conflict from spreading, the Pentagon said.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief said on Monday he is concerned about Israel possibly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, but that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of Iranian facilities would resume on Tuesday.
US President Joe Biden and Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said Monday they would keep working towards the withdrawal of a US-led anti-jihadist coalition in the country. Their meeting at the White House came amid soaring tensions in the Middle East after Iraq's neighbor Iran launched a massive aerial attack on US ally Israel over the weekend.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked roadways in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest on Monday, temporarily shutting down travel into some of the nation's most heavily used airports, onto the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges and on a busy West Coast highway.
China's foreign minister held phone discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Beijing's state media said Tuesday, reporting that Iran reiterated it was "willing to exercise restraint" after its first-ever attack on Israel's territory.
Israel has vowed to respond to the unprecedented Iranian missile and drone strikes over the weekend, which have prompted appeals for de-escalation by world leaders fearing wider conflict.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that his Republican-controlled chamber would vote this week on separate aid bills for Ukraine and Israel, after stalling for months over pressure from his party's right-wing.
Additional United States military assets that were moved into the Middle East before Iran's attack on Israel will remain in place, CNN reported, citing Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
"As (Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin) has said, both publicly and privately, we don't want to see escalation, but we obviously will take necessary measures to protect our forces in the region and as was demonstrated over the weekend, we'll take necessary measures to defend Israel," Ryder said
Israelis awaited word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would respond to Iran's first-ever direct attack on their country as international pressure for restraint grew amid fears of an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
Israel’s military chief said Monday that his country will respond to Iran’s weekend attack, but he did not elaborate on when and how as world leaders urged against retaliation, trying to avoid a spiral of violence in the Middle East.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called for restraint in the Middle East on Monday during talks in Washington as tensions soar between Iran and Israel after Tehran's weekend strikes.
"We encourage all the efforts of stopping the expansion of the area of conflict, especially the latest development," Sudani said at the White House at the start of a meeting with President Joe Biden.
China said it believed Iran will be able to "handle the situation well and spare the region further turmoil" while safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity, referring to an attack on Iran's embassy in Syria and its retaliatory strike over the weekend.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on a phone call that China appreciated Iran's emphasis on not targeting regional and neighbouring countries, according to the official Xinhua news agency on Tuesday.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: American airline, United airlines on Monday said that it cancelled its flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline has also cancelled flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Amman, Jordan for Tuesday, reported Reuters.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, US President Joe Biden on Monday said that the US want to prevent Middle East conflict spreading
Iran attacks on Israel Live: UK PM Rishi Sunak on Monday said that he is in communication with a number of Group of Seven (G7) leaders to come up with a package of measures against Iran,
"We are urgently working with our allies to see what steps we can take together in a coordinated fashion to deter and condemn what Iran is doing," Sunak said in parliament, citing discussions among G7 leaders over the weekend.
"I spoke to my fellow G7 leaders, we are united in our condemnation of this attack."
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, the Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon said that Israeli defence forces with the support of the US and "other friends in the region" were able to "intercept 99 per cent" of the UAVs and missiles fired by Iranians. Gilon also called India as a "very respected player in the international arena, should put its influence and weight" in bringing things back to normal," reported PTI.
"I think that we expect from India, as a friend, to be very strong in the international community in making sure that Iran stops its destabilisation of West Asia," Gilon told PTI in an interview.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Monday said that his country doesn’t want to increase tensions but will respond immediately and more strongly than before if Israel retaliates, reported Reuters referring to Iranian state media.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said that he would soon speak to Benjamin Netanyahu urging on discussing ways to prevent escalation in the region after Iran’s drone and missile attack.
"I will also shortly be speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu to express our solidarity with Israel in the face of this attack, and to discuss how we can prevent further escalation," Sunak said in a statement to parliament.
"All sides must show restraint," he added.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: The ongoing crisis between Iran and Israel has made the operations of the international flights difficult in the region. Due to the current situation, several airlines have now been forced to choose lengthy detours from cities like London and Paris to destinations in the Persian Gulf or India.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday said that Tehran will "soon" allow Indian authorities to meet 17 Indian crew members of a cargo vessel that was seized by Iran's military near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
Amir-Abdollahian conveyed this to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during a telephonic conversation on Sunday, according to an Iranian foreign ministry readout.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to avoid escalation in the ongoing crisis He also said that Israel must avoid worsening the situation in the region. European leaders joined the US in pushing for Israel to restrain its response to Iran’s drone and missile attack, in a bid to allay a wider military conflict.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Nearly a day after Iran’s attack on Israel, Qatar airways resumed scheduled services to Iran on Monday. The Gulf airline began services to Iran including 20 weekly flights to Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz and Isfahan, it said.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is likely to visit Pakistan on April 22 amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, reported ANI citing Pakistan local media.
He is set to hold meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and the military leadership, according to a media report on Monday.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: Days after Iran attacked Israel on late Saturday, Russia expressed concerns about the escalation of tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s attack on Israel.
“We call on all countries in the region to exercise restraint," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Further escalation is in no one’s interests. Therefore, of course, we advocate that all disagreements be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic methods," Al Jazeera quoted Peskov.
Iran attacks on Israel Live: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, on Sunday expressed great appreciation for the joint defence effort to save Israel from Iran’s attack. The Chief of Staff expressed great appreciation for the joint defence effort to thwart and intercept the Iranian missile attack on Israel overnight.
"The IDF's strategic partnership with the United States Army is significant for maintaining regional stability and security in the Middle East," said Halevi.
