HOUSTON — The Israeli Consul General in Houston and Texas lawmakers are reacting after Iran launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East ever closer to a regionwide war.
Consul General Livia LinkRaviv said these attacks from Iran are a blunt violation of the United Nations Charter of International Law.
Link-Raviv said she's been in discussions with other Israeli diplomats around the world to determine what their reactions will be to these latest attacks.
She also spoke about the critical role the US plays in assisting Israel.
"The U.S. continues to be has always been is and will always be our biggest and most important ally. This is very clear to us. We are coordinating everything with the U.S. administration, a lot of sharing of intelligence and also intercepting those deadly missiles was a joint effort by the U.S., Israel and other allies," she said.
Link-Raviv said these drone attacks have been something the Israeli defense force has been on the lookout for.
Senator Ted Cruz who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in part "There is no doubt that Iran has made a huge mistake in attacking America's closest ally in the Middle East. Israel will emerge from this crisis stronger."
Full statement:
“Iran has encircled Israel and has been attacking our Israeli allies from almost every front for months. They have launched attacks from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank, Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon, and of course the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Now they have escalated by launching attacks directly from Iranian territory. These attacks are enabled and financed by deliberate policy choices made by Joe Biden and Biden officials, who have allowed roughly $100 billion to flow to Iran since 2021. Americans and Israelis have been made catastrophically more vulnerable by these policies.
“Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Iran has made a huge mistake in attacking America’s closest ally in the Middle East. Israel will emerge from this crisis stronger. As I have always done, I stand with Israel to do whatever it takes to defend itself.”
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, posted on X, calling Iran a terrorist nation and saying it "launched a disproportionate terrorist attack against our ally Israel. The free world and the United States will stand against this terrorist nation and the tyranny that it promotes."
RELATED: Booms and sirens in Israel after Iran launches ballistic missiles and drones in unprecedented attack
There was no immediate word from authorities on whether any explosions were an incoming attack. Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places, including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating a 10-year-old boy in critical condition in the Bedouin area in the Arad region but provided no details.