World leaders are urging Israel not to retaliate after Iran launched an attack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The attack marked the first direct military assault by Iran on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israeli military spokesman reported that 99% of the drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted.
Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The conflict escalated after a devastating cross-border attack by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, which resulted in significant casualties in Israel.
