By BBC News World
For the first time in its history, Iran launched an attack from its territory directly aimed at the State of Israel.
The expected retaliatory attack by Iran after the April 1 bombing of its consulate in Syria, attributed to Israel, is an escalation in the tensions currently experienced in the Middle East.
In the United States, President Joe Biden canceled a weekend of rest at his home in Delaware to meet with members of his National Security Council.
“President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is unwavering. “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against threats from Iran,” said Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
One of the first leaders to speak out was British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who referred to the event as “reckless.”
“Once again, Iran demonstrates that it is intent on wreaking havoc in its own backyard.”
“The UK will continue to support Israel and all our allies in the region, including Jordan and Iraq. Together with our allies we are working urgently to stabilize the situation and prevent a further escalation. “No one wants to see more bloodshed.”
For his part, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné strongly condemned the attack through a message on the social network ”.
Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, told the BBC that “this is the first day of the new Middle East: for the first time Iran is attacking Israel directly from sovereign Iranian soil“.
“I think Israel is good at planning military contingencies, but they don’t always excel in the strategic part. “I think there are some plans on file, which point to targets in Iran,” Conricus added.
In the region, news of the attack caused Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq to close their airspace, while the Egyptian government declared itself “deeply concerned” and called for “maximum levels of restraint to prevent the region and its people from suffering new factors.” of instability and tension.”
Egypt considered that the dangerous escalation is nothing more than “a direct result of what Egypt has repeatedly warned about the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region as a result of the Israeli war in Gaza.”
In Iran, citizens took to the streets to celebrate the attack by waving Iranian flags.
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