Author: Richard Engel, NBC News
U.S. officials are closely monitoring mounting tensions in the Middle East after hundreds of Iranian missiles filled the sky over Israel Saturday night.
Israel’s war cabinet met Monday morning to discuss its response to this weekend’s unprecedented attack from Iran.
More than 300 drones and missiles launched into Israel on Saturday night, most thwarted by Israel’s Air Defense Systems and support from the U.S. and other allies.
Monday, President Biden is urging Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate, amid fears it could spark a wider war.
Locally, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden shares similar sentiments saying, “I strongly condemn Iran’s attacks against Israel. Tehran’s brazen actions not only threaten innocent Israeli lives, but also U.S. personnel and our partners in the region. I support President Biden’s steadfast commitment to Israel’s security, and his administration’s efforts to minimize casualties and prevent further escalation of hostilities in the region.
“Republicans in the House of Representatives must also stop emboldening Iran, Russia, and their proxies with their inaction,” Wyden said. “Speaker Johnson must work to advance the Senate-passed bipartisan national security supplemental that has been delayed for months.”
Around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones headed for Israel, triggering its Air Defense System to light up the sky over Jerusalem.
A striking juxtaposition, modern weapons of an ancient city with air raid sirens filling the background. Sites holy to billions of Jews, Christians, and Muslims could easily have been damaged or destroyed. Also threatened by the attack, the nearby Christian town of Bethlehem where visiting American Cardinal Dolan was forced to take shelter.
In the end, there was almost no damage, as Israel, the U.S. and other allies shot down 99% of Iran’s missiles and drones, most of them before they even entered Israeli airspace.
Meanwhile in Iran, they celebrated the nation’s first direct attack against Israel. A retaliation effort for an Israeli air strike two weeks ago on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus that killed seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
But Iran could have made its attack more difficult to stop, sending slow flying drones in waves all the way from Iran, effectively giving Israel hours of advance warning.
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