Iran fires over 100 drones at Israel in major retaliation after top commanders killed

Iran has launched a wave of more than 100 drones toward Israel in a major escalation following Israeli airstrikes that killed several top Iranian military officials, including Iran’s armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri and IRGC commander Hossein Salami.

“All [aerial] defense arrays have been operating to intercept the threats. This is a different event to what we’ve experienced thus far, and we’re expecting difficult hours. We should show resilience and patience,” IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the drone attack late Friday, saying the UAVs were launched from Iranian territory and are expected to take several hours to reach Israel. Video footage circulating on social media appears to show drones flying over Iraq en route to their targets.

Earlier in the day, Israel carried out a large-scale aerial assault on Iran, deploying over 200 fighter jets and dropping more than 330 munitions on around 100 nuclear and military targets. The IDF said the operation aimed to “neutralize an immediate and existential threat.”

In a statement, President Isaac Herzog said the Iranian regime “has made no secret of its intention to annihilate the State of Israel,” adding that Israel has both the right and the duty to defend itself.