Iran’s airborne military attack on Israel, launched on Saturday night, has the potential to turn the crisis in Gaza into a full-scale Middle East war, drawing in the US and other countries including Britain. This is the scenario that western and Arab governments have been dreading ever since the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas, Iran’s close ally. Now that the worst has come to pass, no one can know where or how it will end. This unprecedented head-to-head confrontation between Israel and Iran must be defused before it spins completely out of control.
First reports from Israel, quoting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said Iran had launched dozens of drones at presumed Israeli targets. Then came news, impossible to verify, that Iran was also firing cruise missiles – a far greater and swifter menace. Israel said its air defence and anti-missile systems were on full alert and that Israeli air space was being shut down. Jordan and Iraq announced similar measures. Saudi reports said the US had intercepted some of the drones over Syria and Iraq. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi forces in Yemen also fired missiles at Israel in what looked like a concerted offensive.
