(MEHR News Agency 14th April 2024)
Iran retaliates for the 1st April 2024 Attack by Israel on IRGC Members in Damascus
Introduction
On the 1st April 2024 a strike against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The most influential IRGC military commander to die in the strike was General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Quds Force. Zahedi was most recently believed to be serving as chief of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon — a role that would have made him a top coordinator between Tehran and Hezbollah.
Zahedi was the third senior IRGC leader killed since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. His death is the most significant loss suffered by the Quds Force since the assassination of Soleimani four years ago and, before that, the death of Hossein Hamedani in October 2015. Described in a United States Treasury statement on the 3rd August 2010, as “the commander of the IRGC-QF in Lebanon,” Zahedi was accused of playing “a key role in Iran’s support to Hezbollah.” He “also acted as a liaison to Hezbollah and Syrian intelligence services and is reportedly charged with guaranteeing weapons shipments to Hezbollah.”
General Mohammad Reza Zahedi was a member of Hezbollah’s Shura Council, the powerful Lebanese group’s decision-making body, a source close to the movement said. Zahedi was the only non-Lebanese on Hezbollah’s eight-member Shura Council, the equivalent of the powerful Shia Muslim movement’s political bureau, led by secretary general Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah in a previous speech, said his group “owed a lot” to the senior Iranian official. He continued, “lived with us for long years, away from the spotlight, and provided important services to the resistance (Iranian-backed proxy) in Lebanon and the whole region.”
Iran vowed revenge
Security and Intelligence experts believed that Iran would have two option to retaliate at the death of its latest military commander and others that were killed in the strike. One would be to have their proxy’s carryout a retaliatory attack and the other was a direct attack emanating from the Islamic Republic itself. Many believed that Iran would not strike directly as they did not want add coal to the fire as tensions were already high due to the war that Iranian-backed Hamas had started on the 7th October 2023 when Hamas brutally and savagely invaded Israel.
Iran had also blamed the United Nations Security Council for its failure to condemn the Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus on the 1st April 2024. The United States, Britain and France opposed the Iranian ally Russia that would have condemned the Israeli attack. Diplomats said the US, backed by France and Britain, informed council colleagues that many of the facts of what happened on the 1st April in Damascus remained unclear and there was no consensus among council members during the meeting on the 4th April 2024. The US said it had not confirmed the status of the building struck in Damascus, but that it would be concerned if it was a diplomatic facility.
Israel claimed that it was ‘bracing’ itself for any retaliatory attack with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the country would harm “whoever harms us or plans to harm us.” “For years, Iran has been acting against us both directly and via its proxies; therefore, Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu said at the start of a security cabinet meeting late on the 4th April 2024. “We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act according to the simple principle of whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them,” he said.
The Islamic Republic of Iran simply does not share the country’s wealth with the people. The regime invests all the money in developing its power, in weapons, in violence, because that’s the only way it can survive and realize its fanatical ideology. The regime is working to break up the west from within. They use democracy to fight democracies. They radicalize the youth in the United States and Europe, finance media and propaganda, and support universities, in cooperation with Qatar, and with the support of Russia and China. Just a few days ago, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in his meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh that their propaganda war is succeeding, and subsequently released a tweet, declaring: “War also takes place within the media, whoever has the strongest media in their hands will succeed in achieving the goals they seek.”
Israel for years had retaliated against Iranian-backed terrorist groups who had carried out terrorist actions against Israel on behalf o Iran. Israel had said that, that was not going to happen anymore. The Israeli government was going after those who were responsible for the attacks on Israel and its people. They would retaliate directly on those who sent the terrorists. Those in the Tehran government and those in the Iranian military.
Iran was feeling rather smug about itself. Israel had attacked one of their most senior military members and Iran stated that it would strike back. Iran was in the driving seat to pick its time, location and targets. “A wave of fear and anxiety has engulfed the Israeli regime and community about the high probability that Iran will hit Israeli targets in revenge for the martyrdom of IRGC advisers in the Zionist army’s airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.” Was quoted in the government controlled news outlet Tasnim. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic will make the Zionist regime regret this crime.
The Iranians even attempted blackmail with a carrot and stick approach. Iran informed the United States that it would refrain from responding to the airstrike in which senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders were killed in Damascus if a ceasefire in Gaza is reached. The report came as negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal resume between Israel and Hamas in Cairo and as Israel continued preparations for a possible response to the Damascus airstrike that Syria and Iran blamed on Israel.
The United States Biden administration promised “ironclad” support for Israel as Iran threatened reprisals over a strike that levelled an Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killed two generals. Iran may have played on the relationship between the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the United States who had been at odds lately in regards to how Israel had been conducting the war against Hamas.
President Joe Biden told a news conference. “As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.” He then said. “Let me say it again — ironclad. We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”
Iran made a statement to the United States that said; "The Iranian message was - we will attack the forces that attack us. Don't mess with us and we won't mess with you."
With countries and leaders waiting to see how and what Iran would do to react, Israeli officials warned Iran on the 10th April 2024 that the Islamic Republic would receive retaliatory strikes should it mount a direct attack against Israel. Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defence and Democracies (FDD) wrote: “Iran has long made clear that it’s happy to fight Israel to the last Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, or Yemeni. It is far less keen on direct confrontation. It should consider carefully whether revenge is worth the escalation promised on its own soil.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran did consider its actions and retaliated against the State of Israel on the evening of the 13th April 2024.
The Theocratic Government of Tehran Strikes Back
On the 13th April 2024 Israel closed schools and placed its armed forces on full alert due to the threat of an Iranian attack on Israel. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is “closely monitoring a planned attack” against it by Iran and Tehran’s allies in the region.
Russia had told its citizens not to travel to the Middle East. The German airline Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines said on the 11th April 2024 that they were suspending flights to and from Tehran until the 13th April but would probably extend until the 18th April. Australia Quantas redirected its Perth-London flights to avoid Iran airspace. Germany urges citizens to leave Iran, saying there is a risk of sudden escalation. India advised against travel to Iran, Israel. France urged a no travel to Iran message including Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. US restricted its staff in Israel from travelling outside cities amid the Iranian threat. A top US general visited Israel amid Iran retaliation fears: Pentagon. UK prepares evacuation as tensions rise in Middle East. The Dutch embassy was to close for several days. The United States Navy repositioned its warships in expectation of Iranian attack.
The threat of a strike by Iran had been taken seriously.
Sirens began sounding in southern Israeli communities around 0142 hrs and soon after extended to large swaths of the country. Iran had launched an armada of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) and cruise missiles at Israel in retaliation for their attack on their consulate in Damascus.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Spouts its Propaganda on “Operation Truthful Promise”
The Islamic Republic of Iran called the retaliatory strike against Israel “Operation Truthful Promise” also called “Operation Honest Promise” depending on the open-source outlet.
An Iranian cyber group named Handala claimed to have breached Israel's radar systems and sent hundreds of thousands of threatening text messages to Israeli citizens. The group alleged it infiltrated the radar systems and dispatched 500,000 text messages to Israeli citizens. "You have only a few hours to fix the systems," the message warned. The announcement, shared via Telegram, was scant on details but emphasized its significant success, potentially undermining Israel's national security. "You have only a few hours to repair the radar systems," the attackers reiterated in their message. The group also declared that a cyber-attack had also plunged vast areas of the occupied territories, including Tel Aviv, into darkness.
The Iranian government controlled news outlet the Tehran Times on the 14th April 2024 reported "In response to various crimes of the Zionist regime, including the attack on the Iranian consulate section in Damascus and the martyrdom of some of our country's military commanders and advisors in Syria, the IRGC's Air Force targeted specific objectives inside the occupied territories by hitting them with dozens of missiles and drones," a news anchor said, reading a statement by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani issued a stern warning to nations aligning with Israel, cautioning that any countries abetting Israel in a possible attack on Iran would receive a decisive response from the Islamic Republic. “Whatever country that opens its soil or airspace to Israel for a [potential] attack on Iran, will receive our decisive response.”
The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) released further information following a series of missile and drone strikes on Israeli installations within the occupied territories. The attacks which began Saturday night in response to the regime's striking of Iran's embassy in Damascus on April 1, has targeted multiple military sites across the occupied Palestinian lands. Reports show that so far 50% of the fired missiles have hit their designated targets. In its formal communication, the IRGC clarified the necessity for these offensive manoeuvres due to the United Nations' reluctance to admonish Israel for its brazen attack on Iran’s diplomatic premises as well as the regime's previous aggressions.
Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi issued a message about the successful operation of the IRGC against the Zionist regime's positions, saying that the zealous IRGC forces taught a lesson to the Zionist enemy. Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi issued a message about the successful operation of the IRGC air forces against the Zionist regime's positions in occupied lands on early Sunday (14 Apr 24). "I emphasize that any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation will be met with a heavier and regrettable response," President Raisi said in this message. “Last night, the zealous and courageous forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the cooperation and coordination of all the defence and political sectors of the country, set a new page in the history of Iran's authority and taught a lesson to the Zionist enemy.”
Iranian government-controlled MEHR News Agency reported that informed sources reported that at least 15 Iranian missiles hit the strategic air base of the Zionist regime in the Al-Neqeb. Al-Manar citing informed sources announced that Iran has targeted Nevatim Air Base in the south of occupied Palestine [Israel] with 15 missiles early on Sunday [14 Apr 24]. Sources reported that following this attack, this base was damaged severely and became completely out of function. Nevatim air base is located in the south of the occupied territories in the Negev desert region and near the city of Be'er Sheva which is the main base of the F-35 fighters of the Zionist regime. The IRGC Air Force had practiced a missile attack on a simulated example of this Zionist air base last year. This base is about 1100 km away from the western borders of Iran.
Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the operation carried out by the force against the Israeli regime was more successful than expected. Major General Hossein Salami said on Sunday that the IRGC had received reports showing that part of the weapons fired by the force toward the Israeli-occupied territories had directly hit their targets. “Our information on all of the hits is not complete yet but on that part of the hits that we have accurate, documented and field-related reports show that this operation has been carried out with a success that exceeded the expectation,” said Salami. He said that the IRGC was capable of carrying out a large operation against Israel but it opted for a more restricted and limited one to hit Israeli resources that had been used for an airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month which killed senior Iranian military commanders.
The order and sequence of this operation were carried out in a way that cannot be said now, as dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles were able to break through the deep layers of the seemingly reassuring air defence of the Zionists and the coalition between the United States and France and to influence the Zionist regime, Salami said.
Hezbollah terror group claimed to have fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon at an Israeli army base in the Golan Heights. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have 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 Houthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran,” the group said. “Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets,” it added, and warned of “collateral damage” to shipping. According to Israeli Rear Admiral. Daniel Hagari, drones launched from Yemen and Iraq amid the Iranian attack had failed to reach Israel.
Iranians celebrated. Iranian demonstrators chanted slogans during an anti-Israeli gathering in front of the British Embassy in Tehran early on the 14th April 2024 as Iran launched its attack. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Iran early Sunday in a show of support for the unprecedented drone and missile attack against archfoe Israel. “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” chanted pro-government demonstrators in Tehran’s Palestine Square shortly after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the launch of Operation Honest Promise.
The Tehran Times claimed that despite Israel's egregious claim at having intercepted "99%" of the projectiles, footage captured by Israeli settlers in the vicinity of the targets showed Iran's missiles had landed exactly where they were meant to descend. The missiles and drones were fired from regions all across Iran. They passed by populated cities in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and occupied Palestine before hitting two Israeli military targets, one of them being a large intelligence base, Nevatim Airbase, from where an F-35 jet took off to target Iran’s consulate in Damascus. The Iranian government led propaganda outlet also claimed that no civilian sites were damaged in the process. It was called a ‘clean victory.’
Iran Threatens More Retaliatory Strikes if Attacked
Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned that Iran's response to any aggression will be much heavier. This operation has achieved its goals and there is no intention to continue it, Bagheri said, adding, "But if the Zionist regime takes action against Iran's soil or in Iran's centres in Syria or another country, our next operation will be bigger."
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says if the Zionist regime or its allies make another mistake, Iran's designed response will be more severe.
Iran also threatened the Americans by warning should they become involved in any retaliatory attacks then their personnel and bases would be targeted.
Reality of Irans “Operation Truthful Promise”
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral. Daniel Hagari first confirmed at 2300 hrs (local) 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. Iran had launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel, comprising 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, and that 99% of them had been intercepted by air defences. All 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were downed outside of the country’s borders by the Israeli Air Force and its allies, he said. Not one drone or cruise missile managed to enter Israeli airspace.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said that the long-range Arrow air defence system managed to knock down the “vast majority” of the 120 ballistic missiles, although some penetrated Israel’s defences and struck the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. At Nevatim, “slight damage” was caused to the infrastructure, but the airbase was running as usual, Hagari said. “As you can see now, the base is functioning and continues to perform its tasks. In the picture, you can see the runway at Nevatim,” he said, showing live footage from the airbase during his press statement Sunday morning [14 Apr 24].
“Iran thought it would be able to paralyze the base and thus damage our air capabilities, but it failed. Air Force planes continue to take off and land from the base, and leave for offense and defence missions, including the Adir (F-35) planes that are now returning from a base defence mission and soon you will see them landing,”
This was contrary to what was reported in the MEHR News Agency who reported that 15 Iranian missiles had damaged the airbase severely.
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 said 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.
Royal 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. An Iranian military source suggested that Jordan may face severe repercussions and become the next target if it aligns with the Zionist regime.
Shortly after midnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defence 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.
Israel’s Channel 12 news said the US was the first to identify the launch and immediately notified Israel, leading to a flurry of activity 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.
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 ballistic missile over the area. The 7-year-old Israeli-Muslim 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.
The Iranian Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi says the warriors of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) taught the Zionist regime "an unforgettable lesson" with their drone and missile operation. “Last night, your zealous and courageous children in the IRGC, with the cooperation and coordination of all the defence and political sectors of the country, turned a new page in the history of Iran’s authority and taught a lesson to the Zionist enemy.”
In reality those warriors of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps launched unmanned drones and missiles at Israel and failed to reach one target.
Retaliation
After over three hours of deliberations on the 14th April 2024 afternoon, Israel’s five-person war cabinet did not reach a decision as to how the country would respond to Iran’s massive missile and drone barrage on the night of the 13th April 2024. The Israel Hayom daily newspaper cited, however, an Israeli official as stating that “there will be a response.” An official source in the Prime Minister’s Office said that while a decision has yet to be made, “the IDF will need to present options” and that “it is clear that Israel will respond.”
The United States has clearly stated that although they will stand by Israel in defence, they will not be involved in an attack directly against Iran. The British urged the Israeli’s to ‘take the win’ and ‘leave it.’
After Action Report
According to the Institute for National Security Studies, the Islamic Republic of Iran fired 30 cruise missiles, none penetrated; 120 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel with 10 penetrating Israeli territory; 170 drones were fired, none penetrated; a few missiles caused slight damage to infrastructure and 85 tons of explosives were directed towards Israel. Ninety-nine percent of those launched at Israel failed to reach any target and were intercepted with 70 drones and 3 ballistic missiles downed by the United States. Number of other targets destroyed by the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the Royal Air Force no figures given
Damaged caused was minimal and the only military base to be targeted and struck was Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel which received minimal damage and continued operations.
The only real casualties were a small 7-year-old girl. She remains in a life-threatening condition after she was taken to Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba. Debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell directly on her home in a Bedouin town near Arad in the southern Negev region at approximately 0200 hrs. The Times of Israel reported that eight other people had been brought in with minor injuries, some of whom, like the girl, had been hit by shrapnel.
Conclusion
What is clear about the Iranian operation against the State of Israel is that the United States, Israel, Britain and Jordon’s air defences achieved a spectacular defeat against the Islamic Republic. For Israel and its allies to down a swarm of missiles and drones with very minor damage and one casualty is a huge success for them. Although what must not be forgotten is that Iran was able to launch such a multitude of aerial weapons at a target over a distance of 985.31 miles (1,585.70 km). The route would have been through Iraqi and Syrian airspace, therefore not causing international problems with other Arab states. Southern Iraq and Syria are both in the pocket of Iran. Iran will become more confident that it can unleash a multitude of drones and missiles at a target and not only get away with it at the United Nations Security Council but retaliation may or may not be forthcoming, especially after the threats of more and at a greater severity if they are attacked. The only real win for Iran who claimed all of its munitions hit their target was those responsible for Iranian propaganda. Not in any of the main propaganda outlets was there any hint of the failure to hit any target or cause major damage in response to the Israeli strike in Damascus. It is without a doubt that the victory goes to Israel and those who support them. Israel killed seven IRGC officers in a single strike on the 1st April 2024. Iran failed to strike anything with approximately 300 drones, missiles and cruise missiles on the 13th April 2024. This maybe a course of “To Be Continued.”
Paul Ashley