BICOM

Fallout continues from Iran’s attack on Israel Saturday night, a full BICOM briefing on which can be found at our website here. Updates since yesterday morning include:

• According to ABC, of the roughly 110 ballistic missiles launched by Iran, at least nine breached the Israeli air-defence systems and struck two IAF airbases in the Negev. An American official told the network that five missiles struck the Nevatim airbase. A Hercules cargo plane was damaged, as was an out-of-service runway and empty storage facilities. Four missiles struck the second base, which was not named. No serious damage was caused as a result.
• US CENTCOM, meanwhile, has confirmed the extent of the US role in thwarting Iranian drones and missiles during the attack. US forces, supported by US European Command destroyers destroyed more than 80 one-way attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles aimed at Israel from Iran and Yemen last night. This includes a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and seven UAVs destroyed on the ground prior to their launch in areas controlled by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, CENTCOM says in a post on X. 80 UAVs would account for nearly half of the 170 drones that the IDF said were fired by Iran at Israel. “CENTCOM remains postured to support Israel’s defence against these dangerous actions by Iran. We will continue to work with all our regional partners to increase regional security,” the US military said.
• Home Front Command announced at midnight last night that all educational activities across Israel can now be resumed normally. Military officials explained the decision by saying that it had been important to wait at least 24 hours to make sure the Shiite militias in the region were not preparing additional attacks.
• At an overnight UN Security Council session, Israel envoy Gilad Erdan said: “The mask of Iranian deniability has been removed. No more hiding and no more bluffing. No more shirking of responsibility. Iran has attacked Israel from its own sovereign territory, publicly and proudly. The mask is off.”
• “Iran, the number one world sponsor of terror,” Erdan continued, “has exposed its true face as the destabiliser of the region and the world… Right now is when the world must stop ignoring Iran’s crimes and take action.” He added that “all of the terror groups attacking Israel are tentacles of the same Shiite octopus — the Iranian octopus,” and urged members to “impose all possible sanctions on Iran before it’s too late.”
• Foreign Secretary Cameron has said the UK will consider imposing more sanctions on Iran. “Yes, absolutely. We already have 400 sanctions on Iran. We put in place a whole new sanctions regime at the end of last year, which is proving very effective. We’ve sanctioned the IRGC, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, in its entirety, and we’ll continue to look at what further steps we can do.”
• The New York Times is reporting that in the course of Saturday night, Israel decided to attack Iran. Later however, in a conversation between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden, Biden managed to avert the Israeli attack on Iran. Biden told Netanyahu that given the fact the attack caused minimum damage, Israel should the incident “a win” and should thus not respond militarily. An Israeli official told CNN that Israel will respond to Iran’s attack, but the scope of that response has yet to be decided.
• National Camp Chairman and war cabinet minister, Benny Gantz, has spoken about the world’s support for Israel. “Israel versus Iran, the world versus Iran. This is the result” he said. “This is a strategic achievement that we should leverage for Israel’s security. This incident is not over. The strategic alliance and the regional cooperation system between us has been seriously put to the test and now is the time for us to strengthen it. We’ll build a regional coalition against the Iranian threat and exact the price from Iran in the manner and at the time right for us.”
• Overnight, Israeli fighter jets shot down a drone making its way toward Israel from the east, the military says. Israel is attacking targets on the outskirts of the towns of Dhayra and Naqoura in southern Lebanon, according to a report by the Al Mayadeen News network, linked to Hezbollah