Iran launched 300 drones and missiles at Israel Sunday in retaliation, Iranian officials say, to an alleged Israeli airstrike killing two of the country’s military generals earlier this month.
Thankfully, Sunday’s attack resulted in only one fatality. The vast majority of the projectiles were struck down by Israel’s aerial defense system, aided by the U.S., Britain, and Jordan. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates alerted U.S. intelligence officers of the attack ahead of time.
The outsized retaliation marks the Iran’s first direct act of military aggression against Israel in decades. It’s an undeniable shift in military strategy — but not in ideology. Iran has long been, and will remain, an enemy of Israel. These last six months have been a case study in this enmity, as Iran’s specter continues to hover heavily over the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Gazan-terror group became a household name last October when it carried out a military-style assault on Israeli civilians. An estimated 1,300 people died. Another 250 were taken hostage — 129 of whom remain in Hamas custody today. Hundreds of women suffered brutal sexual torture, oftentimes leading to their deaths.
As the Daily Citizen previously reported, many intelligence officers credit Iran not only with supporting this attack, but coordinating it, including training hundreds of Hamas soldiers and helping the organization build thousands of rockets and drones.
Iran famously bankrolls regional terrorism, spending an estimated $100 million every year backing Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which have physically attacked Israel during the war. Hamas received a whopping $70 million from Iran in 2022 alone.
As Iran’s roll in the Middle East continues to evolve, citizens should be encouraged that unlikely regional allies came to Israel’s rescue. We will never know how many lives Jordan’s air defense, and Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.’s intelligence, saved.
Christians should also take this time to remember that the Bible calls believers to support Israel. While we need not affirm every military or political action the Israeli state takes, we are called to defend Israel’s right to exist.
Though the geopolitical situation in the Middle East is notoriously fluid, our biblical mandate to prayerfully oppose existential threats to Israel — including those coming from Iran.
Additional Articles and Resources
Antisemitism — What It Is and Its Connection to the Israel-Hamas War
Israel is Under Attack—Here’s Why Christians Should Support Its Defense
Israel-Hamas War—How Does Iran Fit In?
Double Standard? Calls for Israeli Ceasefire Could Conceal Antisemitism
