Israel says attack ‘failed,’ Iran claims ‘success’

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli officials on Sunday issued several statements saying Iran "failed" in its retaliatory response to an Israeli airstrike targeting the headquarters of its diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital, Damascus. However, Iran said it carried out a “successful” attack on Israeli targets.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that his country “stopped” the Iranian attack in cooperation with the United States and other ally countries” he did not name, according to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

“The campaign is not over yet. We must be vigilant and attentive to the army and the Home Front Command's instructions and prepare for any scenario,” he added.

Likewise, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: “We intercepted. We stopped. Together we will win.”

Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari claimed in a press conference that his country “intercepted 99% of the threats that Iran fired towards Israel during the night.”

He added that “a number of individual missiles penetrated the Nevatim base and caused only minor damage, and the base is working well."

Writing on X, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said: “...Now we need a crushing attack.”

The Iranian official television claimed, however, that Iran carried out a “successful” attack on Israeli targets.

Iran began an airborne attack Saturday against Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital. The strike killed at least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals.

Tehran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack but it has for months carried out several strikes against Iranian targets across Syria.

Iran and Hezbollah, its main ally in Lebanon, have said the attack will not go unpunished.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi