Hello, im alex marquardt. Welcome to the cnn newsroom. We are following Breaking News. Iran has launched an attack act against israel. If youre just joining us dozens of iranian drones are now bound for israel as well as Cruise Missiles, according to the israeli news media yeah, this of course, leaving the entire middle east and beyond very much on edge is forces are planning to intercept as many of those aircraft and missiles as possible. The United States has said they will help with those interceptions at best they can at this hour. However, we do not yet know what the results of these attacks may be just moments ago, the white house said that this attack is expected to unfold over the next few hours. It is just past midnight in israel, we have got reporters and analysts all over the map as we try practice news including mj lee at the white house, Jeremy Diamond in jerusalem, clarissa ward, and tel aviv and ben wedeman in beirut. I want to get straight to our ben wedeman who is in lebanon, aband, if you could please bring us up to speed with the latest what is iran using out to attack israel . Well, as we heard just an hour ago, that the ron had launched drones in the direction of israel. Now, we heard but also that the United States is going to try to intercept anything that flies in the direction of israel. Israeli military spokesman are saying it could take hours for those drones to reach israeli territory. And as you said, Cruise Missiles as well, according to Israeli Media, have been launched in the Directory Correction of israel. Now as a result, is rarely airspace has been closed jordanian airspace has been closed. Iraqi airspace has been closed israel, of course, we knew even before this news came out about the launch of drones and Cruise Missiles that tomorrow, all schools and universities cities in israel have been canceled. We understand it in haifa, Bomb Shelters have now been opened. So essentially, the region is waiting to see when those projectiles reach israel. Will they actually hit anything . As we know, israel has the ability, along with uniteds tates to track them as they fly in the direction of israel. And weve seen that way, its the arrow nt missile system, the iron droning in other means, whether israel will be able to actually shoot all of them down before they actually hit the ground. Alex clarissa you were showing live pictures of that tel aviv skyline. One of the major questions is, of course, what the targets are intended to be. Now, there is a sense that if iran does not want to escalate this, that they wont go, for example, for civilian centers, they will wont try to target Downtown Tel Aviv where you are. Obviously, we dont know what those targets are going to be, but what is the Israeli Government saying to its citizens in order . To stay safe in a way that we might be able to glean what it is they believe those intended targets to be well essentially theyre saying this is a moment for caution. This is a moment to listen carefully to what youre being told to do this as a moment not to panic. This is a moment for unity as you heard, ben wedeman saying there fools are closed universities are closed, camps, are closed. No gatherings of more than one people everyone here being urged just to keep a close eye on the news on their phones and Pay Attention to what theyre told to do. I do think that the prevailing wisdom had been that iran was telegraphing this for some time, that they had made it very clear they felt it was necessary to respond to israels attack on april 1 and damascus is that killed seven iranian officials, quds forces according to the israelis but now the question is, are they able to retaliate in a way that does not escalate, are they able to find that socalled Goldilocks Spot and the fear is, of course that given the backdrop, given the tensions, given the fact that we are really in kind of unprecedented moment, that there are so many things that could go wrong that there are some so many potentially unintended consequences that could lead us into a regional conflagration that very few people across the region actually want to see. You have had us centcom commander general erik kurilla here for two days. He just left talking about how the us will work with israel israel to deter any kind of attack. But certainly there is a sense that this is the precipice of a moment that could turn into something much larger if cooler heads dont prevail. And if the region is not able to collectively come together and avert an all out catastrophe. So certainly tensions are high, but i would not say that we are our yet in a Panic Stations moment. These drones flying very slowly as we have heard over and over again, it will be ours. The real question becomes whether they are then accompanied by attacks from proxies missile attacks. What those targets could be alexs pertaining to your initial question, we dont yet know Everybody Waiting and watching very closely. To see what will come. This idea of an iranian retaliation, while also not trying to escalate, is such an extraordinary, difficult needle to thread. And it is one that the United States and its allies, both in the region and in europe and elsewhere, are trying to but make sure that iran and israel essentially do threat it carefully in a way to avoid this escalation, i want to get to Jeremy Diamond, whos in jerusalem jeremy, what have the israeli has been saying about how they may respond to this iranian attack. Because as were seeing now, this is not proxies yet. Perhaps coming from other countries. This is an attack from iranian soil, raising the possibility of an israeli response. Against iranian soil yeah, like theres no question that in recent days, israeli officials have been trying to deter this very scenario a direct attack by Iranian Forces launched from a rain iranian soil directed at israeli soil. And indeed, in trying to deter it, they have been warning that an iranian attack on israeli soil in that context would result in an unequal response from israel, meaning an Israeli Attack directed at iranian soil. Now the question that i have now is if israel is able to intercept all of these drones, or the majority of these drones, does that change the calculus from israel . But of course we dont know that this attack from iran as of yet is limited solely to these drones. We could also see Cruise Missiles, Ballistic Missiles, which take a considerably shorter amount of time to actually reach israeli soil that could therell be launched by iran. I do have some new information for you though, alex, earlier we reported that it was dozens of drones. Im now told that the latest israeli estimate is that there are over 100 drones that have been launched by iran towards israeli soil. This is being described to me by sources as a very large scale attack by iran. And what we are trying to confirm at this hour is whether or not this involves additional sources of attack by iran that could changed the game in terms of how much of a response israel feels compelled to deliver here but that is something that we will be monitoring very, very closely over the coming hours. Yeah, we certainly will it certainly underscores the type of response the significant response that iran is carrying out now against israel have been showing that shot of the tel aviv skyline. Weve gotten used to seeing that picture for the past six months. And the interceptions of the rockets coming from gaza. But what is coming . Coming towards israel right now in terms of those drones and those missiles, is a lot more significant than those hamas rockets. I want to get straight to mj lee at the white house, mj. What are you hearing from the white house . Well, alex, as you know, the white house has been on high alert for days and days now, preparing for exactly the scenario that is now currently underway. A Senior Administration suasion official from here confirming that many drones have been launched from inside iran into israel. They expect that number to really be just north of what we had reported coming into this and just to underscore, of course, the gravity of this President Biden was set to finish off the weekend in rehoboth beach. He has now cut that trip short and has just returned to the white house walking straight back into to the oval office where later today we expect him to, of course, convene his team of National Security advisors and they of course, in turn, have been in close contact with their israeli counterparts. Parts in the region. As well as all as all of this has unfolded. And we saw moments ago, the National Security council seeing in a statement that they expect that this attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours you take into account just the travel time of some of these drones and yeah, we certainly expect that this is going to be a late night here at the white house with the president continuing to get updated as this situation unfolds i do think its just worth noting a couple couple of things that we have been reporting leading up to this very moment thats important from here are stamps here at the white house. Us officials had said that they expected that iran would be directly involved in launching these attacks into israel. But they had also said that that it is certainly possible that proxies and other affiliated groups could also be involved. So theres that we also know that iran was expected to attack multiple targets in israel, but there could also be other targets, other assets in the region that are also targeted. So it could be sort of further reaching that what we are currently aware of and then of course the idea that the us is ready and willing to intercept any weapons if feasible. As this unfold. So we saw the us moving our extra forces into the region in preparation for all of this. So this kind of work and preparation has been under de underway again for days now. And i think its just its hard to overstate how much this state onstate conflict between iran and israel was a scenario that the us had so much hoped to avoid. Given the possibility of this now, ushering in potentially a real new chapter of real volatility and real unpredictability. Of course, i should note, the us is also gone to Great Lengths to try to prevent a situation where iran is directly targeting any us personnel and assets in the region as well, including directly communicating with iran. So a lot of moving pieces here, but again, just just really have to underscore how much this is exactly that sort of almost worstcase scenario that the Biden Administration and i had hoped to avoid we do know that Senior Administration officials have been reaching out to their counterparts, jake sullivan, the National Security advisor, lloyd austin, the Secretary Of Defense cedric leighton. Now, i want to ask you a technical question because now we have this reporting from the Israeli Media that its not just these drones. And now were putting the number at more than 100 Attack Drones, but also Cruise Missiles. I dont think theres a number on the Cruise Missiles, just yet its going to take hours for those drones to get to israel. How soon could those Cruise Missiles get to israeli airspace and how much more complicated does this make it for the Israeli Air Defenses when youve got this combination of weaponry being used in this attack yeah, alex, thats going to be one of the biggest difficulties that didnt challenges that the israelis are going to face because theres Cruise Missiles and could basically get to two israeli airspace in about a little less than two hours. From launch soon travel. What about five to six times the speed of these drones that we believe the iranians are using probably from the head family, the same kind of family that is being used in ukraine right now. Those drones traveling about 110 miles per hour, Cruise Missiles of the type of the iranians generally go anywhere from 500 to 620 miles per hour. So thats the kind of difference in speed that were looking at. That is definitely going to be a challenge for the Israeli Air Defense system. And of course the associated Radar Systems as well as the Intelligence Systems that are tied into that general hurtling. Is there a possibility that if proxy groups notably hezbollah in lebanon, the most capable of all the proxy groups arguably, then of course you have the Houthis Down South and yemen. Is there a possibility that israels air defenses, even if supported by the us, could get over it. Whelmed. Oh, absolutely. And what cedric has just said, alex, i think is a critically important point when youre tracking 100 drones coming in on a swarm like were seeing, its relatively easy to determine where they are and when theyre going to get there, suddenly now is cedric said, youre going to get Cruise Missiles dimensionally arriving earlier and overcome some of the air defense system. So its going to distract from the very beginning when you launched from four or 500 miles away, that first launch was a distraction for what might be coming next. And i think were seeing that right now when you add to that the potential for not only has below and the houthis in yemen, but also some pmf forces on popular mobilization. Frank forces in syria on the border with jordan inside of iraq, that could potentially launch as well. You are going to overwhelm or at least challenge that integrated air defense system, which, which israel has. But thats why the United States has been coordinating so well with them over the last couple of days. And general kurilla has been in the area to really contribute to this. Theres also some potential for launch sites that will come over the c in the mediterranean. I am suggesting that youre going to see some us, naval assets there as well as some Israeli Naval capabilities that will intercept the danger here is as any military guy will tell you, its the multiple fronts, the multiple directions, the multiple types of rocket, rockets and missiles that are coming in, which will confound any kind of electronic system. And it really goes down to the sensor and the shooter on the ground, the Individual Human Being thats running those systems. These things dont automatically respond. It takes well trained soldiers and sailors and airmen to make picture it happens well, but yeah, its gonna be overwhelming that hundred swarm drone attack along now with however many Cruise Missiles and potentially rockets and missiles coming out of Southern Lebanon are going to be a challenge for israel they certainly are. And that challenge is coming and just a few hours time, we believe or i want to ask all our correspondence and analysts to stay with me. I would bring in a congressman, adam smith. He is the democratic Ranking Member of the Armed Services committee. Congressman. Thank you so much. For joining us the question of this retaliation by iran it was not a question of if, but when. And now we are looking at the possibility of not just what are the question of what happens in israel, but then what happens in terms of an israeli response. So how worried are you right now that there will be a significant escalation that i think im very worried and i think anyone paying attention, this should be very worried. I mean, its gone back and forth on a number of different current levels. Obviously, israel has been long concerned about ron sending supplies through syria to lebanon to arm has blah missiles have been flying back and forth between hezbollah in lebanon and israel for months now obviously, theres the fight and gaza with hamas as well. And this is escalating. And i think both sides are assuming if they appear as strong as possible, it will force the other side to back down but theres really no end to that. If both sides have that approach. So after this attack by iran, its going to be a very dangerous moment to see what comes next. But the consensus by experts and officials until now for the past six months was that iran didnt really want to get involved in this war directly. There were more than happy to see their proxy is going after us targets, coalition targets. And of course, israeli targets. Do you think that that is changing now that iran will want a bit more of a direct role in this conflict, or do you think that this retaliation, at least in iran . Funds hope is a oneoff most likely its a oneoff, but you dont know. I mean, you cant know for sure. I mean, based on the way around, responded to the killing of soleimani when we killed soleimani several years ago. Now it strikes me as a oneoff as you do the us, we have to have a proportional response to discourage you from doing this in the future but thats not 100 certain that thats a wrong approach. Now, i heard an analyst earlier say and quite correctly that if iran really wanted to go all in on israel, they would unleash hezbollah in lebanon. Thats the greatest track because thats right across the border. Israel would not have the hours that they have now to see these dr