USA och Storbritannien riktar sanktioner mot Iran

On 13 April 2024, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian military, in coordination with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, Lebanese group Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthis, launched attacks against Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The attack was codenamed Operation True Promise (Persian: وعده صادق, romanized: va'de-ye sādeq). Iran stated that the operation was done in retaliation for the Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate annex in Damascus, used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two weeks earlier. The operation was part of the Israel-Hamas war spillover and marked Iran's first direct attack on Israel since the start of their proxy conflict. Several countries in the Middle East closed their airspace a few hours prior to Iran launching a standoff attack against Israel around midnight on 13 April 2024. Iran's attack involved around 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles directed against Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, representing the single largest attack of its kind in modern warfare. In response, an international coalition of partner countries operated in defense of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces used Arrow 3 and David's Sling systems to shoot down the incoming weapons. The American, British, French, and Jordanian air forces and navy helped to shoot down Iranian drones. France, which intervened at the request of Jordan, deployed its navy to provide radar coverage. Jordan stated that it had intercepted objects flying into its airspace to ensure its citizens' safety. Israel stated that 99 percent of the drones and missiles were shot down by the coalition during Operation Iron Shield, most before entering Israeli airspace, while a US official said that at least nine Iranian missiles had struck two Israeli airbases, causing minor damage. Some of the ballistic missiles were shot down in space by the Arrow system. Early information suggested that only a few missiles were not shot down; one caused minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, which remained operational. In Israel, a 7-year-old Israeli Bedouin girl was struck and injured by part of a missile, and thirty-one other people either suffered minor injuries while rushing to shelters or were treated for anxiety. Jordan reported some shrapnel falling on its territory, causing no significant damage or injuries. The next day, Iran's envoy to the United Nations stated that the attacks "can be deemed concluded". The attack was the largest drone strike in history, intended to overwhelm anti-aircraft defenses. It was the first time since the 1991 Iraqi strikes that Israel was directly attacked by the military of another state. Iran's attacks have drawn criticism from the United Nations, several world leaders, and political analysts, who warned that they risk escalating into a full-blown regional war.