How U.S. helped counter Iran's attack on Israel | Explained

Washington's response to Iran's attack on Israel, detailing military and diplomatic efforts to counter the violence.

Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles marked the culmination of a tense two weeks in which Washington engaged in whirlwind efforts to prepare for the expected violence.

American aircraft and planes downed dozens of drones and missiles when Iran launched the attack on Saturday, after Tehran repeatedly threatened to hit back in response to an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed two top officers at the beginning of the month.

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Senior U.S. officials detailed the role Washington played — both militarily and diplomatically — in countering the attack:

Iran launched a barrage of more than 100 medium-range ballistic missiles, more than 30 land-attack cruise missiles and more than 150 attack drones at Israel, a senior U.S. military official said.

Two American warships — the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Carney — destroyed between four and six ballistic missiles, while U.S. aircraft shot down more than 70 Iranian drones, the military official said.

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