Missile Intercepted Over Israel's Port City Of Eilat

The ministry's director for western Europe, Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, accused the three European states of showing "double standards", referring to their rejection of a Russian draft at the UN Security Council to condemn Israel over its alleged airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month.

"Iran's military action against the Zionist regime's [Israeli] bases is well within the framework of the right to legitimate defense stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and it is in response to a series of crimes, including the recent attack on the embassy compound in Syria," the official told the Iranian Labor News Agency. The strike in Damascus killed two commanders and several other IRGC personnel.

The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock responded quickly after the attacks were launched from Iran on Saturday night, the country's first direct strike towards Israel, claiming that the Iranian bombardment of over 350 projectiles towards the Jewish state had brought the Middle East "to the edge of a precipice". She said Tehran had "plunged an entire region into chaos".

French President Emmanuel Macron was also quick to condemn Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel. “I condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented attack launched by Iran,” he wrote on X. “I express my solidarity with the Israeli people and France's commitment to the security of Israel, our partners, and regional stability,” he added.

According to the Israeli military spokesman, France was also involved in the coalition helping thwart the Iranian onslaught. Daniel Hagari said France "has very good technology and jets and radars, and they were contributing in patrolling in airspace".

In the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed that British fighter jets had shot down Iranian drones. "I can confirm our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones," he said, underscoring that Britain had taken an active role in helping Israel and other allies push back the strikes.

Typically, political pundits appearing in Iran’s government-controlled media speak before Ali Khamenei or the IRGC take a clear position on sensitive issues or make a decision. But when the decisions are made and actions are taken, they usually thread very carefully.

Military operations are one such area where dissenting opinions are rarely expressed. Consequently, after the IRGC's attack on Israel, voices of opposition were notably absent, with only statements from the IRGC and select reports from international media being disseminated. In such circumstances, pundits are constrained to voice agreement.

Insiders’ reaction

After 12 days of the regime's inaction following Israel’s attack on Quds Force members in Damascus, the predominant theme across all of the regime's propaganda outlets immediately after the drone and missile attacks was self-congratulation: “The regime is punishing the aggressor”, “the necessary warnings have been given to the United States”, and “the punishment is due”. These mirror Khamenei words and position taken by the IRG.

Apparently, to keep everyone in line, the hardliner Kayhan Daily, controlled by the Supreme Leader’s office labeled anyone who dared to speak about regional peace and stability, “a traitor.”

To show the power of the IRGC, headlines such as "Israel was put on full alert", "Zero hour of punishment", "Zionists' fear of Iran's response", "Israelis are confused and dumbfounded, they have no confidence to fight", "Iranian drones do not give a chance to escape," in Government and quasi-government newspapers and websites were published. These headlines were responding to general public ridicule and lack of trust in any official claims.

Regime-organized rallies were launched, soon after the attack commenced, in cities such as Tehran, Qom, and Gorgan to show public support for the IRGC and Khamenei, but the number of participants was in the range of tens to hundreds of people. In these gatherings, small crowds chanted slogans likening the war against Israel to the historical conflict between the Prophet of Islam and the First Imam of Shias against the Jews during the early days of Islam.

People’s reactions

The initial response of ordinary people in the streets and bazaars of major cities was to queue up at gas stations to refuel their cars. The primary and immediate concern was the potential disruption in daily life due to subsequent shortages. Similar lines were witnessed during the Iran-Iraq war following air strikes.

In the responses seen on social media, three significant trends emerged: expressions of support for Israel, public skepticism towards official news, and ridicule directed at IRGC weapons used in the attack. One user, writing in Farsi, stated, "My country is fighting with another country, and I want that country to win." Iranians on social platforms also utilized hashtags like "Beat them, Israel!" and "Thank you, Israel."

In reaction to the criticism following the attack on Israel, the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization issued a notice urging citizens to report any online support for Israel, treating it as a "criminal" offense. The amount of pro-Israel sentiment exceeded expectations for the IRGC intelligence unit.

Comments online referred to the Islamic Republic's operation as "Fake Al-Assad," a mocking reference to the previously announced retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, when Iran launched ballistic missiles at the Ain al-Asad military base in Iraq hosting US troops in 2020.

Videos circulated online showed individuals examining crashed drones in various regions of Iran, ridiculing the regime's military institutions and weaponry.

Leaders of the G7 nations condemned Iran's attack on Israel and said on Sunday that they would work to try to stabilise the situation in the Middle East.

"With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided," a statement issued by G7 president Italy said after a video conference involving the group's leaders.

"We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran's direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack. We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security."

"We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives."

The Tehran Prosecutor's Office has raised the charges which include disrupting "the psychological security of society and destabilizing the country's economic atmosphere," particularly in response to a headline in Jahan Sanat, "Hard Revenge or Big Concession," which was published after the attacks.

On Saturday night, Iran launched over 350 drones and missiles towards Israel, a retaliation for the April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate compound in Damascus, for which Iran blames Israel. The attack killed multiple Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members including two top commanders.

Iran's proxies in Iraq and Yemen also joined the onslaught. The regime has deemed the operation a huge "success" in spite of 99 percent of the projectiles having been intercepted by Israel and its allies, the US, UK, Jordan and France.

While many in Iran celebrated the failure, condemning the attack, the Intelligence Organization of the IRGC has called on the Iranian public to spy on their fellow countrymen and report any pro-Israel activities online by Iranian citizens.

The economic impact of the Sunday morning attack saw increases in gold and foreign currency prices in Iran, with the US dollar rate reaching 700,000 rials.

Since the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom Uprising, over 70 journalists have been arrested in Iran with press freedom among the lowest in the world.

An article carried by state-run Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA, says Tehran’s attack last night targeted the Nevatim air base and a military facility on Mount Hermon.

According to the unsigned column, which seemingly reflects the regime’s party line on the attack, Nevatim was targeted because, Tehran alleges, a deadly assault on the country’s consulate in Damascus earlier this month was launched from there.

It says a military intelligence site on Mount Hermon was also a target, and that the attack was also meant as a response to years of Israeli attacks on Iranian positions in Syria.

An article carried by state-run Iranian Students News Agency says Tehran’s attack last night targeted the Nevatim air base and a military facility on Mount Hermon.

According to the column, which seemingly reflects the regime’s party line on the attack, Nevatim was targeted because, Tehran alleges, a deadly assault on the country’s consulate in Damascus earlier this month was launched from there.

It says a military intelligence site on Mount Hermon was also a target, and that the attack was also meant as a response to years of Israeli attacks on Iranian positions in Syria.

“Israeli cities were not supposed to be targeted in this operation, although Israeli citizens experienced the worst night of their lives,” the column claims, not mentioning the small Bedouin girl who was the lone Israeli wounded, according to Israel.

Instead, ISNA claims that “Iran’s missiles hit the predetermined targets. However, Israel is trying to downplay the damage of this attack.” “This operation raised the deterrence level of the Islamic Republic of Iran and even the repeated calls of Western officials to dissuade Iran from responding to Israel were useless,” it says.