Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump on Wednesday for his “support in defending Israel’s skies” as Israel exchanged fire with Iran for the sixth time.
The United States has stated that it is not directly involved in Israel’s campaign, although it is a significant provider of missiles and technology for its ally’s powerful air defence systems.
According to reports, American military assets in the Middle East, including a Navy destroyer, helped shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles.
“I want to thank President Trump, a great friend of the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement.
“I thank him for being at our side, and I thank him for the support of the United States in defending Israel’s skies.”
After decades of hatred and a brutal shadow war, conflict between the long-time adversaries exploded Friday when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign, prompting Iran to respond with missiles and drones.
Trump appeared to flirt with the prospect of joining Israel’s campaign in recent public remarks — even going so far as to call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” — but stated Wednesday that he had not yet decided whether to participate.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu stated that Israel was using “tremendous power” to target Iran while admitting that Israel had suffered “painful losses” in the fight.
“We are hitting their nuclear programme, their missiles, their military headquarters, the symbols of their power,” he said.
“We are suffering numerous losses, painful losses,” he added. “But the home front is solid, the people are strong and the state of Israel is stronger than ever.”
According to Netanyahu’s administration, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel since Friday, with hundreds more wounded.
Israel’s air defence systems appear to have been generally effective in intercepting Iran’s daily bombardment of missiles and drones.
An Israeli military official, who is not to be identified, said Wednesday evening that Iran has fired over 400 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones since Friday.
The official stated that approximately 20 rockets had targeted civilian areas in Israel.
The military has severe controls on how Israeli media outlets can report on Iranian air attacks.
Iran reported on Sunday that Israeli bombings had killed at least 224 individuals since the conflict began, including military officers, nuclear scientists, and civilians. It has not released an updated toll since then.
