Iran says its attack against Israel was a success, despite the fact that 99% of the drones were intercepted. A Sudanese photographer documents how war has upended life in his country.
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Iranian officials have been lavish with their praise for the unprecedented retaliatory air strikes Iran sent at Israel over the weekend — despite the fact that Israel and its allies intercepted 99% of the drones. Top Iranian lawmaker Mojtaba Zonnouri called the strikes a “victory,” according to Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency.
NPR’s Peter Kenyon tells Up First that two recent incidents may have made Iran feel like it needed a “show of strength:” the 2020 U.S. assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and the recent strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria, which killed top Iranian officers. Meanwhile, Washington and world leaders are asking Israel to show restraint as it weighs its response to Iran’s missile and drone attack.
Iran’s strikes have renewed pressure on Congress to act after months of delay on foreign aid. House Speaker Mike Johnson has introduced three billsaddressing funding for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. A fourth national security bill could lead to a TikTok ban.
