Iran has launched an attack on Israel; ballistic missiles were also fired

The US has already announced that it will provide Israel with support against an air strike, without specifying what this support will be.

Adriana Watson, the representative of the National Security Council of the United States, said that Iran has launched an air attack on Israel, adding that the United States will support the Israeli people against the Iranian threat.

Meanwhile, Israel has announced that it is closing its airspace to all flights in preparation for an attack by Iranian drones.

The airspace is closed from 00.30 local time (from 00.30 also Latvian time).

Earlier on Saturday, Israel reportedly announced the closure of schools across the country.

Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq have also announced the closure of their airspace, while Egypt has declared a state of alert in its anti-aircraft artillery units.

Israel is in a state of alert since the attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, in which 16 people, including two Iranian generals, were killed. Tehran accuses Israel of this attack and has threatened to retaliate.

The situation continued to escalate when Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy seized a container ship allegedly linked to Israel in the Persian Gulf on Saturday.

US President Joe Biden then cut short a weekend vacation in Delaware and returned to Washington on Saturday for urgent consultations on the situation in the Middle East.

On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Kats has postponed his planned visit to Austria.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting of the war cabinet.

Responding to the latest events, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds expressed his condemnation of the Iranian attack on Twitter, and also emphasized that Israel has the right to protect itself and its citizens.

I condemn the attacks by Iran against Israel. Israel has every right to defend itself and protect its citizens. The attacks regrettably mean a serious escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. I support the important efforts by the US and other allies in trying to avert the…

— Andris Spruds (@AndrisSpruds) April 13, 2024