In retaliation for a deadly attack earlier this month, Iran launched “dozens” of drones toward Israel on Saturday, the Israeli military said.

A military response from Israel is now expected, although it was unclear how strong it would be. It could take several hours for the drones to reach their intended targets, whose identities are still unclear. Attacks from Iranian territory on Israel itself would represent a major escalation of regional warfare.

President Biden cut short his weekend in Delaware and rushed back to the White House, where he was joined by a team of national security advisers bracing for violent reprisals following April 1 airstrikes blamed on Israel that killed seven senior Iranian officials were killed at an Iranian diplomatic service. mission in Syria.

Behind Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Force, reported the launch of Iranian drones and said Israel was already on a high security alert, canceling schools and large public gatherings until further notice.

“Iran has begun an airstrike on Israel,” White House national security spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

The Iranian operation, which Tehran threatened for days,

Direct military action between Israel and Iran could be a game changer, US officials said.

“We are in completely uncharted territory,” Mairav ​​Zonszein, Middle East analyst at the International Crisis Group, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Biden administration officials, along with counterparts from several Arab and European countries, have urged Iran in recent days to show restraint, even as Tehran’s heated rhetoric increased and preparations for an attack were clearly underway.

US officials also urged Israel to make any response appropriate

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with Iran’s actions.

((WHERE THE ATTACK FALLS ON THE SPECTRUM OF CALCULATION)) Before the attack, President Biden pledged to help defend Israel from Iran. He sent the senior US military commander responsible for the Middle East, General Erik Kurilla, to Israel for consultations.

But a broader conflict, in a region already reeling from Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, will continue

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Washington’s diplomatic efforts were aimed at easing tension and freeing hostages held by the militant Hamas group, including several American citizens.

It could also undermine Biden’s domestic support from war-weary voters, just under seven months before the US presidential election.

Conventional wisdom has maintained that Iran does not want war with the United States. Israel’s response – and that of the US – would depend on whether Iran attacks from Iranian territory, or uses one of its many allies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.