Iran has claimed that its drone attack on Israel was a “legitimate defence”, following an airstrike earlier this week, widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, which destroyed Iran’s consulate in Syria and resulted in the death of 12 individuals.

The Iranian UN representative took to social media to assert that the drone attack fell under UN jurisdiction and was a direct response to the destruction of the consulate in Syria, adding that the issue was now fully resolved.

However, they issued a chilling warning that if Israel were to retaliate again, the “response will be considerably more severe”. The message concluded with a stark warning to US President Joe Biden, urging the USA to refrain from getting involved in the aggression.

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations posted: “Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY! “.

Jerusalem was on high alert as air raid sirens blared across the city amidst a series of loud explosions overhead. The ominous booms echoed through the skies as Iranian drones were reportedly inbound, with no immediate response from authorities on whether the blasts signalled an attack or successful interceptions, reports the Mirror.

In a bold and unprecedented act of aggression, Iran unleashed a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles towards Israel late Saturday, escalating tensions in the Middle East to the brink of a full-scale regional conflict.

This marked Iran’s first direct military strike against Israel, breaking new ground in the long-standing hostility that has festered since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. International condemnation came swiftly; France decried the assault, stating, “Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilising activities and is risking a potential military escalation.”

The Israeli Defence Forces reported that over 100 drones had been launched, but assured that their air defences were primed for the challenge. While there was no mention of ballistic missiles, which are more challenging to intercept, Iran boasted that they were included in the offensive.

The United States, maintaining a significant military presence in the region, pledged to extend support to Israel, though details remained unspecified.

“We are monitoring the threat,” declared Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s spokesman, during a broadcast to the nation, indicating that it would take hours for the drones to reach their destination.

The Israeli military refrained from confirming any interceptions or identifying potential targets.

Iran has sworn retaliation following an airstrike on April 1 in Syria, which resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals within an Iranian consular facility. Tehran has pointed the finger at Israel for orchestrating the strike, while Israel has maintained silence on the matter.

The tension between Israel and Iran has been escalating amid Israel‘s six-month conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza. The hostilities were ignited by a severe cross-border assault by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both Iran-supported groups, on Oct.

7, leading to 1,200 fatalities in Israel and the abduction of 250 individuals. An extensive Israeli campaign in Gaza has led to significant destruction and over 33,000 casualties, as reported by local health authorities.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, commenced assaults on Israel‘s northern frontier almost immediately after the conflict began. The adversaries have engaged in daily firefights, and pro-Iranian factions from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have fired rockets and missiles toward Israeli territory.

Late Saturday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency published a statement from the nation’s Revolutionary Guard confirming the launch of “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime”.