IRAN ATTACKS ISRAEL WITH DRONES AND MISSLES.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

IRAN ATTACKS ISRAEL WITH DRONES AND MISSLES.

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)

Leviticus 26:15-17 (KJV)
15-and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
16-I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17-And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

Job 22:4-22 (KJV)
4-Will he reprove you for fear of you? will he enter with you into judgment?
5-Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities without end?
6-For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7-You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8-But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it.
9-You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10-Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles you;
11-Or darkness, that you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.
12-Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13-And you say, How does God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
14-Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he sees not; and he walks in the circle of heaven.
15-Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16-Who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was swept away with a flood:
17-Who said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do to us?
18-Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19-The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20-Surely our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes.
21-Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you.
22-Receive, I pray you, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.

Elam passed into the hands of the Persians" (A.H. Sayce). (IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:35-39
35-Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36-And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37-For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38-And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
39-But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 32:24
24-There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

7-year-old girl in south seriously hurt by shrapnel-Iran fires drones, missiles at Israel in first-ever direct attack; IDF says most downed Sirens and booms heard throughout country; Israel, US and Jordan down Iranian projectiles en route to Jewish state; Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthis attack simultaneously-By Emanuel Fabian-and ToI Staff Today, 12:03 amUpdated at 4:28 am-APR 14,24

Iran on Saturday night launched a large wave of attack drones and missiles from its territory toward the Jewish state, in the first-ever direct attack on Israel by the Islamic Republic, triggering air raid sirens throughout the country early Sunday as the military worked to intercept the Iranian projectiles.IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari first confirmed at 11 p.m. that the attack, anticipated for several days, had begun. He later said Iran also fired missiles at Israel, while “numerous” fighter jets were in the sky countering Tehran’s attacks.Sirens began sounding in southern Israeli communities around 1:42 a.m., before extending to large swathes of the country. Loud booms sounded across north and south, as well as in Jerusalem and many towns in the northern West Bank.The Magen David Adom ambulance service said its medics were treating a young girl in southern Israel who was wounded by shrapnel following the interception of an Iranian drone over the area.The 7-year-old girl, from a Bedouin town near Arad, was taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, where she was listed in serious condition.There were no other reports of injuries as a result of the Iranian attack.Surreal footage of the Iranian attack over Jerusalem's Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif pic.twitter.com/NuSvF25HLX— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 13, 2024-Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed launching dozens of drones and missiles against specific targets in Israel, Iranian state media quoted a statement by the elite force as saying. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted an anonymous official saying that ballistic missiles were launched as part of the attack.Hagari said that in total, Iran launched more than 200 projectiles at Israel, including dozens of ballistic missiles.According to the IDF spokesman, most of the missiles were intercepted by the long-range Arrow air defense system. The missiles were mostly downed outside of Israeli airspace, he said, adding that fighter jets also intercepted dozens of cruise missiles and dozens of drones.Along with the impact that wounded the young girl in the Negev, Hagari said additional impacts caused “slight damage to infrastructure” at a military base in southern Israel.In a separate statement, the IDF stressed it intercepted “the vast majority” of the dozens of ballistic missiles, with the Arrow system shooting them down before they entered Israeli skies.“Dozens of Air Force planes continue at this hour to intercept all air threats that are making their way toward the territory of the State of Israel,” the military added.Hagari stressed the incident was not over. The IDF’s Home Front Command later announced Israelis nationwide no longer need to stay near protected rooms, but said restrictions on gatherings and the cancellation of all educational activities and school trips remained in force as announced earlier.Footage shows interceptions over southern Israel a short while ago.pic.twitter.com/eBjCXZ4NvE— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 13, 2024-Three US officials said the American military shot down Iranian drones headed toward Israel, without disclosing how many were shot down or the precise locations. Security sources told Reuters that US forces operating from undisclosed bases in the region shot down a number of Iranian drones in Sweida and Deraa provinces in southern Syria near the Jordanian border.Jordanian jets downed dozens of Iranian drones flying across northern and central Jordan heading to Israel, two regional security sources said in a dramatic show of support from Amman, which has heavily criticized Israel’s prosecution of its war against Hamas in Gaza.The sources said the drones were brought down in the air on the Jordanian side of the Jordan Valley and were heading in the direction of Jerusalem. Others were intercepted close to the Iraqi-Syrian border. They gave no further details.Britain said royal Royal Air Force jets in the Middle East “will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.”“In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks,” the statement added.The incoming attack led Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon to shut down their airspace for a period of several hours. Israel also announced that its airspace would shutter as of Sunday at 12:30 a.m. until an unspecified time, leading to various flight cancellations.Egyptian military and security sources said Egypt’s air defenses were on alert. They added that Egypt’s military General Command have formed a team to monitor the situation and make any necessary decisions regarding the country’s airspace.Syria also put on high alert its Russian-made Pantsir ground-to-air defense systems around the capital Damascus and major bases in the event of an Israeli strike, Syrian army sources told Reuters, explaining they expected Israel to retaliate against army bases and installations where pro-Iranian militia were based.Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani meanwhile threatened a firm response to any country that “opens its airspace or territory for attacks on Iran by Israel,” Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported.Shortly after midnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense leaders convened at military headquarters in Tel Aviv for a security assessment.A “senior Israeli official” was later quoted by Channel 12 news pledging an ‘unprecedented response’ to Iran’s attack and urging Israelis not to go to bed due to what was coming Tehran’s way.The network also reported that the security cabinet authorized the war cabinet to make decisions regarding Israel’s response to the Iran attack. The decision meant that the war cabinet would not have to return to the security cabinet in order to get decisions approved, thereby streamlining the process when quick decisions are required.In an earlier press statement, Hagari said the Air Force was tracking the drones, while noting that they would take several hours to reach the country. He said there would be GPS disruptions as the military works to intercept the drones.“The defense and offense systems of the Israeli Air Force are on alert, and dozens of planes are in the skies — prepared and ready,” said Hagari, adding: “We have an excellent aerial defense array, but the defense is not hermetic.”Sirens will only sound if the drones enter Israeli airspace, at the relevant locations, Hagari said. He added that the IDF will seek to intercept the targets as early as possible.He added that the military would update the public if there were any additional attacks that require a separate warning.Channel 12 said the US was the first to identify the launch and immediately notified Israel, leading to a flurry of activity in recent hours in Israel and its surroundings that led to widespread public assessment that an attack was imminent.State-linked media in Iran reported that a second wave of drones had been launched at Israel.Two security sources in Iraq said dozens of drones had been spotted flying from Iran toward Israel over Iraqi airspace in what Iranian Press TV called “extensive drone strikes” by the Revolutionary Guards.Channel 12 aired video from Iraq that purported to show a wave of drones passing overhead in the night sky. Several such videos were shared on social media.???????????????? BREAKING: Iranian drones heard flying over Iraq towards Israel pic.twitter.com/agNKmerk65— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) April 13, 2024-Earlier in the evening, presaging the attack, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden would cut short a weekend trip to Delaware to hold consultations with his national security team on the potential Iranian strike on Israel.“I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” Biden wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after returning to the White House.Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, called his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant for the second time in three days to discuss US support for Israel’s defense, the Pentagon said.“Secretary Austin made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies,” read the statement.The two later spoke again following the Iranian attack, with Gallant’s office saying he informed Austin “about Israel’s defense actions.”The minister also thanked Austin for standing by Israel’s side, and “emphasized that the defense establishment maintains maximum readiness against further attack attempts.”National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi to reinforce Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak denounced Iran’s “reckless” attack against Israel, which he said showed that it was “intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.”“These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilizing the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard,” Sunak said in a statement.“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq.”France’s Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne condemned Iran’s attack as a “new level” in the threat to security.“France condemns with the greatest firmness the attack launched by Iran against Israel,” he said on the platform X.“In deciding to take this unprecedented action, Iran has reached a new level of destabilization and is risking a military escalation,” he added, reiterating France’s commitment to Israel’s security.Before the incoming attack was confirmed, the IDF’s Home Command issued new guidelines shuttering all schools and educational activity the next day — action that would not affect most schoolchildren, who started their vacation ahead of the Passover holiday at the weekend.In addition to the closure of educational facilities, the military announced it would be forbidden for more than 1,000 people to assemble outdoors.The IDF also canceled its planned enlistment day Sunday amid the Iranian attack on Israel. New conscripts will receive a new date for their draft at a later time.Residents of the northern Golan Heights, the Nevatim area of southern Israel, Dimona, and Eilat, were instructed to remain close to bomb shelters until further notice.“We have been at war on several fronts for over six months,” said Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, the chief of the IDF Home Front Command, said in a video statement stressing that civilians should continue to follow its guidelines.“Throughout the war we have faced and have confronted a large number of challenges in a very wide variety of threats, we learned and improved. We are prepared and strong in both defense and offense,” he said“In light of the situational assessment, we have decided to change the defensive guidelines. Starting tomorrow, throughout the country, there will be no educational activity. Also, gatherings of over 1,000 people are prohibited,” Milo continued.“You are required to continue to vigilantly adhere to the guidelines, they may change based on the situational assessment. So far, your conduct and adherence to the guidelines has been exceptional, keep it up, it saves lives,” he said.“The alert system is prepared and ready, together with the heads of the authorities and the emergency response organizations, we will overcome this challenge,” Milo added.As Israel braced for the Iranian drones and missiles, warning sirens sounded in the northern community of Snir, as the Hezbollah terror group claimed to have fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon at an Israeli army base in the Golan Heights.The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been carrying out daily attacks on Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.Security firm Ambrey said Yemen’s Houthi rebels had launched multiple drones at Israel in coordination with Iran, adding that the projectiles were likely timed to reach Israel simultaneously.“Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) were reportedly launched by the Huthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran,” the company said. “Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets,” it added, and warned of “collateral damage” to shipping.Tensions between Israel and Iran had reached a new high in recent days as the Islamic Republic vowed to avenge seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, who were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on a building near Tehran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.“In response to the numerous crimes committed by the Zionist regime, including the attack on the consular section… the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired dozens of missiles and drones at specific targets inside the occupied territories (Israel),” state television quoted an IRGC statement as saying as the strikes on Israel were announced.Operation Honest Promise was “being carried out with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council under the supervision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces,” the IRGC statement said.Within minutes of the launch, the account on X of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reposted his pledge that the “evil (Israeli) regime will be punished.”Defense Minister Gallant said in a video statement that Israel had “added new capabilities, on land, in the air, at sea, in intelligence, within the State of Israel, and together with our partners, led by the US,” in preparation for attacks from the “terror state” Iran.Citing unnamed sources, CNN reported Saturday that the US expected Iran to target multiple sites inside Israel and in the region in the coming days, with one of the sources cited as saying that the US had observed Iran preparing as many as 100 cruise missiles to strike Israel. A senior US administration official told CNN that Iran’s proxies could be involved in the attack as well.Also citing unnamed sources, Channel 12 reported that by the Israeli security establishment’s estimation, Iran would strike military rather than civilian targets.On Saturday morning, the IRGC seized a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship, at least partially Israel-owned, near the Strait of Hormuz.Following the incident, Foreign Minister Israel Katz called “on the European Union and the free world” to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization and slap sanctions on Iran.“The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’s crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” said Katz.Several international entities have made adjustments to regular business amid the expected Iranian attacks.Australia’s Qantas and Germany’s Lufthansa airlines on Saturday announced they would reroute flights in the Middle East, with the German airline saying it would avoid Iranian airspace altogether until Tuesday.Canada on Saturday warned its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, as Ottawa upgraded its risk assessment in the region.The Netherlands announced it would keep its embassy in Tehran closed on Sunday, and would decide then whether or not to reopen on Monday.Agencies contributed to this report.

‘Everybody’s running home’: Israelis hunker down, stock up on supplies as Iran attacks-Jerusalem resident says he expects his family’s routine to be interrupted for several days as both work and school canceled; shop owner stays open late so people can buy food, water By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 4:32 am-APR 14,24

Jerusalem residents took cover on Sunday as Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel.Blasts rang out across the city and explosions lit the skyline red, while residents stockpiled water and sought shelter in bunkers.“As you can see it’s empty, everybody is running home,” said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighborhood.Barakat said many people visited his shop to stock up on supplies, “water, food, everything.”“Normally, we close at one o’clock, but we will stay open,” he added.The Israel Defense Forces said that in total, Iran launched more than 200 projectiles at Israel, including dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned people to get ready to seek shelter.“I remind you that no matter where the threat is launched from, when an alarm sounds you must enter the shelter and wait there for no less than 10 minutes,” Hagari said.The IDF Home Front Command later announced Israelis nationwide no longer need to stay near protected rooms, indicating the attack was over for now, but said restrictions on gatherings and the cancellation of all educational activities and school trips remained in force as announced Saturday.Michael Uzan, a 52-year-old dentist, said his family had gathered at his father-in-law’s house to be together.They followed the government’s instructions, bought non-perishable food and were ready to head to the apartment building’s bunker.He said he expected everyday life to be disrupted over the coming days.“No work tomorrow. Even meetings, everything is canceled. For children, schools are closed. I have a daughter who was supposed to take an important exam tomorrow, but everything is canceled,” he told AFP.Residents of northern Israel also braced for attacks.“I’m really afraid of war, this is serious,” Summer Khalil, 52, told AFP from the Galilee village of Majd al-Krum.“If I hear the sirens, I don’t know what to do, we are near the Lebanese border.“I bought 30 bottles of water, they were almost the last bottles. There was no milk in the shop,” she said.

Biden cuts weekend trip short to hold consultations-Iran launches wave of drones at Israel in first-ever direct attack; IDF braces to intercept
Suicide drones expected to take hours to arrive; airspace shuttered in Israel, Jordan, Iraq; all education Sunday canceled; army says air force ‘prepared and ready’By Emanuel Fabian-and ToI Staff 14 April 2024, 12:03 am

Israel said Saturday night that Iran had launched a wave of attack drones from its territory toward the Jewish state and that the military was tracking and preparing to intercept them, in the first-ever direct attack on Israel by the Islamic Republic.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed it had launched dozens of drones and missiles against specific targets in Israel, Iranian state media quoted a statement by the elite force as saying.Unconfirmed reports in Israeli media said the number could be in the hundreds, and that missiles may be launched as well.Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed that the attack, anticipated for several days, had begun.It led Jordan and Iraq to shut down their airspace for a period of several hours, and Israel too announced that its airspace would shutter as of Sunday at 12:30 a.m.Israel’s prime minister and top defense leaders were set to hold a security assessment at military headquarters in Tel Aviv shortly after midnight.In a press statement, Hagari said the Air Force was tracking the drones, while noting that they would take several hours to reach the country. He said there would be GPS disruptions as the military works to intercept the drones.“The defense and offense systems of the Israeli Air Force are on alert, and dozens of planes are in the skies — prepared and ready,” said Hagari, adding: “We have an excellent aerial defense array, but the defense is not hermetic.”If there are any additional attacks, that require a separate warning, Hagari said the IDF will update the public.Sirens will only sound if the drones enter Israeli airspace, at the relevant locations, Hagari said. He added that the IDF will seek to intercept the targets as early as possible.Channel 12 said the US was the first to identify the launch and immediately notified Israel, leading to a flurry of activity in recent hours in Israel and its surroundings that led to widespread public assessment that an attack was imminent.State-linked media in Iran reported that a second wave of drones had been launched at Israel.Two security sources in Iraq said dozens of drones had been spotted flying from Iran toward Israel over Iraqi airspace in what Iranian Press TV called “extensive drone strikes” by the Revolutionary Guards.Channel 12 aired video from Iraq that purported to show a wave of drones passing overhead in the night sky. Several such videos were shared on social media.???????????????? BREAKING: Iranian drones heard flying over Iraq towards Israel pic.twitter.com/agNKmerk65— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) April 13, 2024-Jordan’s air defenses were ready to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace, two regional security sources said.Earlier in the evening, presaging the attack, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden would cut short a weekend trip to Delaware to hold consultations with his national security team on the potential Iranian strike on Israel.Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, called his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant for the second time in three days to discuss US support for Israel’s defense, the Pentagon said.“Secretary Austin made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies,” read the statement.Before the incoming attack was confirmed, the IDF’s Home Command issued new guidelines shuttering all schools and educational activity the next day — action that would not affect most schoolchildren, who started their vacation ahead of the Passover holiday at the weekend.In addition to the closure of educational facilities, the military announced it would be forbidden for more than 1,000 people to assemble outdoors.Tensions between Israel and Iran had reached a new high in recent days as the Islamic Republic vowed to avenge seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, who were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on a building near Tehran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.Defense Minister Gallant said in a video statement that Israel had “added new capabilities, on land, in the air, at sea, in intelligence, within the State of Israel, and together with our partners, led by the US,” in preparation for attacks from the “terror state” Iran.Citing unnamed sources, CNN reported Saturday that the US expected Iran to target multiple sites inside Israel and in the region in the coming days, with one of the sources cited as saying that the US had observed Iran preparing as many as 100 cruise missiles to strike Israel. A senior US administration official told CNN that Iran’s proxies could be involved in the attack as well.Also citing unnamed sources, Channel 12 reported that by the Israeli security establishment’s estimation, Iran would strike military rather than civilian targets.On Saturday morning, the IRGC seized a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship, at least partially Israel-owned, near the Strait of Hormuz.Following the incident, Foreign Minister Israel Katz called “on the European Union and the free world” to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization and slap sanctions on Iran.“The Ayatollah regime of [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’s crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” said Katz.Several international entities have made adjustments to regular business amid the expected Iranian attacks.Australia’s Qantas and Germany’s Lufthansa airlines on Saturday announced they would reroute flights in the Middle East, with the German airline saying it would avoid Iranian airspace altogether until Tuesday.Canada on Saturday warned its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, as Ottawa upgraded its risk assessment in the region.The Netherlands announced it would keep its embassy in Tehran closed on Sunday, and would decide then whether or not to reopen on Monday.

Op-ed-Waiting for the rockets, at the opening of a regional conflict-Iran has never previously directly attacked Israel in this way. The prime minister says the IDF is prepared for any scenario. Let’s hope so-By David Horovitz-14 April 2024, 12:01 am

In the surreal circumstances in which I write these lines, waves of drones have been launched from Iran at Israel, and the nation is now waiting to see whether its air defenses will prove capable of intercepting them over the next few hours.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured Israelis in a brief video message that Israel has been readying for weeks for precisely such an eventuality, and “we are prepared for any scenario.” The IDF Spokesman, Daniel Hagari, has assured the public that every effort will be made to intercept the drones en route. A former IDF intelligence chief, Amos Yadlin, has said on national television that the drones carry a payload that “the simplest bomb shelter” can protect against.Iran has never previously directly attacked Israel in this way. And its attack marks the transition from the Israel-Hamas war, along with heavy violence on the northern front, to a regional conflict. It will be very interesting to see what Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah does next.Right now, the precise dimensions of the Iranian attack are, unsurprisingly, not clear: Reports in the last few minutes say cruise missiles may also be en route.In the days and hours before this attack, the Biden Administration attempted to deter Iran, underlining that it will fight at Israel’s side as necessary — evidently to no avail. The airstrike two weeks ago, allegedly by Israel, on commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps inside Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus, was apparently too painful for the regime to allow to pass without a significant response.The Islamic Republic’s attack represents a victory for Gaza’s Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who hoped that his terror-government’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel would trigger a multi-front war against Israel. Six months later, on a day that also saw an escalation of violence in the West Bank, that hope is coming to fruition.Israel was unconscionably unprepared for October 7 — insistently blind to all the early warnings. Its border defenses proved utterly inadequate, and Hamas’s scrambling of its communications systems deeply hampered its initial response to the invasion.Israel and those who care for it are hoping that it is genuinely “prepared for any scenario” this time.

Many fear economic impact of conflict-In Tehran, locals are wary of potential war with Israel-‘I don’t know who is at fault but it’s better to reach compromise,’ says one resident; ‘God willing, our government will favor reason over emotion,’ says another By Majid Sourati and Ahmad Parisi 13 April 2024, 10:22 pm

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — After three days off, people in Tehran returned to work as normal on Saturday, but with a lingering cloud of concern that soaring tensions between Iran and its arch-foe Israel could tip over into war.“I don’t know who is at fault and who is not, but it is better to reach a compromise so that the war does not begin, and innocent people don’t die,” said Maryam, a 43-year-old private sector worker.Like most Iranians, Maryam has been following the news about a stand-off between Iran and Israel since a strike hit a building in Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.The attack, which Tehran has blamed on Israel, killed seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, including two generals.Iran has since vowed to punish Israel for the attack, without specifying how.The United States and other nations have urged restraint.The conflict escalated further on Saturday, when Iran seized an Israeli-linked ship in the Gulf of Oman.Israel then issued a warning that Iran would “bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further.”The Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh said on Saturday that “the longer Tehran’s response is delayed, the more it has negative consequences on the country’s economy and intensifies concerns in society.”This uncertainty has weighed on the return to school for students after the long holidays that follow the Iranian New Year, celebrated on March 31 — as well as the end of Ramadan.“God willing, our government will favor reason over emotion,” said Salehi, a 75-year-old retired government employee in central Tehran.“If that is the case, there should be no conflict,” he told AFP.‘War is always bad’But other Tehran residents would like the government to have a stronger response than was seen after previous killings of Iranian soldiers blamed on Israel.“This time we must respond to it with more seriousness and determination,” said Yusof, a 37-year-old private sector employee.Ehsan, a 43-year-old university professor, said it was “logical” to retaliate, because the Israelis had “attacked an Iranian diplomatic building” in Syria’s capital Damascus.“War is always bad and worrying — a person who has experienced war would never support it, but sometimes to achieve peace, a war is necessary,” he added.Ahmad Zeidabadi, an expert in international relations, said “it seems that the authorities have not yet made a final decision, as it will probably have serious consequences.”Tehran has to also take into account any response’s impact on public opinion, which appears to currently be more concerned about economic difficulties than by the war in Gaza, he said.“The possibility of war worries business leaders, in particular those who depend on the rate of foreign currencies,” Zeidabadi told AFP.“Some of them fear that it will cause a shortage of food.”In a sign of these fears, Iran’s rial has plunged to a historic low of around 650,000 to the US dollar on the black market.The government also faces “a dilemma” on a strategic level, said Ali Bigdeli, an academic specializing in international affairs.“Israel’s attack can drag Iran to the edge of an unwanted war,” Bigdeli told the reformist newspaper Ham Mihan.“Entering the war and attacking Israel from Iran’s territory is in the interest of Israel,” he said.It could offer Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a justification for the Gaza war, and will end the Gaza war in the shadow of the war with Iran,” he added.Former Iranian deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari said that Tehran “should choose the least costly and at the same time most profitable option to respond to Israel.”“The most legitimate target for an Iranian strike would be Israel’s security and military installations in the territories occupied since 1967, particularly in the Golan Heights,” he said.