Israel vows to respond to Iranian drone attack

E

STAY SAFE. I KNOW YOU AND YOUR

TEAM DO HAVE A SHELTER TO GET TO

IF NEEDED. AGAIN, TO OUR

VIEWERS, YOU'RE SEEING SOME OF

THIS VIDEO RIGHT NOW. THESE ARE

SOME OF THE PROJECTILES, SOME OF

THEM DRONES. UNCLEAR

SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING

AND WHERE THIS IS. BUT WE KNOW

THAT THE IRON DOME AND THE

INTERCEPTS HAVE BEEN AT PLAY,

INCLUDING ASSETS FROM THE UNITED

STATES. THEY HAVE BEEN

RESPONDING AND INTERCEPTING SOME

OF THOSE PROJECTILES. LET'S

BRING IN ABC'S CHIEF GLOBAL

AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT MARTHA

RADDATZ, WHO IS JOINING US NOW

ON THE PHONE. MARTHA YOU'VE BEEN

SENDING SOME SOME EMAILS, SOME

REPORTS FROM YOUR SOURCES. WHAT

DO WE KNOW ABOUT THESE MISSILES

AND DRONES THAT IRAN IS SENDING

TO ISRAEL NOW WITH THE US

OFFICIAL I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO

THIS EVENING, SAID THEY EXPECT

400 TO 500 DRONES AND MISSILES

TO BE HEADING TOWARDS ISRAEL.

>> THAT IS CLEARLY HAPPENING

RIGHT NOW. AS YOU KNOW, MANY A

WAVE OF DRONES WERE LAUNCHED

SEVERAL HOURS AGO. THE MISSILES

HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED MORE

RECENTLY. JUST ABOUT 150

MISSILES SO FAR. BUT THEN THAT

SWARM OF DRONES AND THE IRANIANS

HAVE TIMED THIS SO THEY ALL GO

TOWARDS THEIR TARGET AT ONCE.

THEY ARE INDEED TRYING TO

OVERWHELM THE AIR DEFENSES.

ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT POINT

HERE WITH IS THAT THE US IS

CLEARLY INVOLVED IN TRYING TO

INTERCEPT, THE US OFFICIAL TOLD

ME. THEY'RE TRYING TO INTERCEPT

EVERY THING THEY CAN. THEY'RE

DOING THAT FROM THE RED SEA.

THEY'RE DOING THAT FROM THE

MEDITERRANEAN AND THROUGHOUT THE

MIDDLE EAST, WHERE THEY DO HAVE

AIR DEFENSES. OTHERS ARE TRYING

TO HELP AS WELL. THIS COMES

AFTER THE IRANIANS WARNED THE US

NOT TO HELP, TO STAY OUT OF IT.

BASICALLY, ACCORDING TO THIS US

OFFICIAL, IRANIAN SAID TO THE

US, IF YOU DON'T INVOLVE

YOURSELVES IN THIS, WE WILL STAY

AWAY FROM YOU. AND YET TONIGHT

WE ARE SEEING THAT THE US IS

SHOOTING DOWN MISSILES, DRONES,

WHATEVER THEY CAN DO TO KEEP

THEM AWAY FROM ISRAEL AND TO TRY

TO KEEP ISRAELIS SAFE. THEY'VE

ALSO, ACCORDING TO THIS US

OFFICIAL, THESE DRONES AND

MISSILES ARE HEADED TOWARDS

THREE MILITARY FACILITIES. THEY

SAID THEY DO NOT THINK THEY ARE

PURPOSEFULLY AIMING AT CIVILIAN

AREAS, BUT THESE. ARE NOT

COMPLETELY ACCURATE DRONES OR

MISSILES. AND THERE COULD

CERTAINLY BE, AS BRETT POINTED

OUT, SOME SORT OF DAMAGE FROM

THESE, NOT ONLY FROM THE

MISSILES OR DRONES THEMSELVES

THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO

INTERCEPT, BUT FROM FALLING

DEBRIS AS WELL.

>> WITH AND MARTHA, WE KNOW THAT

ISRAEL HAS ONE OF THE MOST

SOPHISTICATED AIR DEFENSE

SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD. WE TALK

ABOUT THE IRON DOME AND THEN THE

SUPPORT FROM THE US. NOW IS IT

YOUR SENSE IN TALKING TO YOUR

SOURCES THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF

THIS ATTACK FROM IRAN IS A

SURPRISE IN ANY WAY, OR IS THIS

CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THEY WERE

EXPECTING?

>> I THINK IT IS A SURPRISE. I

THINK IT IS LARGER THAN THEY

EXPECTED, MUCH WORSE THAN THEY

EXPECTED. AND THEY ARE SO

FOCUSED ON TRYING TO GET THESE

MISSILES AND DRONES DOWN. BUT

EVEN IF THEY GET 85% OF THEM

DOWN, IT'S BOUND TO HIT

SOMETHING. THEY'RE BOUND FOR

SOME OF THOSE MISSILES OR DRONES

TO GET THROUGH TO THEIR TARGET.

IF RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING

AND BRIT, THEY'RE RIGHT IN THE

MIDDLE OF IT, SEEING THESE

SWARMS OF DRONES, THESE SWARMS

OF MISSILES THAT REALLY COULD

OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM, THE STAND

BY FOR US FOR A MOMENT, IF YOU

COULD, I WANT TO GO BACK TO

BRITT CLENNETT BECAUSE, BRITT, I

UNDERSTAND YOU'RE HEARING SIRENS

RIGHT NOW IN JERUSALEM, IF

YOU'RE ABLE TO HEAR US, CAN YOU

TELL US WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, WHAT

YOU'RE HEARING AT THE MOMENT?

>> AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE NOT.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT

HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF

JERUSALEM, BUT THIS DOES SEEM TO

BE A PERIOD OF EERIE QUIET,

ESPECIALLY AFTER WE HEARD THAT

THOSE SEVERAL INTERCEPTIONS AND

AS I SAY, THE WAILING OF THE AIR

RAID SIRENS. BUT AS FAR AS I CAN

SEE, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE

ARE ANY INTERCEPTIONS AT THE

MOMENT OR ANY IMMINENT DANGER.

>> OKAY, BRIT, THANK YOU.

MARTHA, I'D LIKE TO BRING YOU

BACK IN HERE BECAUSE YOU WERE

TALKING ABOUT THE CALCULATION

FROM THE US AND OF COURSE, FOR

WEEKS THE MOVE HAS BEEN TO TRY

TO PREVENT AN ESCALATION ACROSS

THE REGION. WHAT DOES THIS DO TO

OUR POSITION RIGHT NOW? AND HOW

DOES THE US RESPOND MILITARILY?

>> I THINK THE US WILL DO

EVERYTHING POSSIBLE NOT TO

RESPOND MILITARILY. THEY WANT TO

PUT THEMSELVES IN A DEFENSIVE

POSITION TO DEFEND ISRAEL, NOT

TO GO AFTER IRAN, BUT WHAT THEY

ARE MOST WORRIED ABOUT NOW IS

HOW ISRAEL RESPONDS TO THIS.

WHAT ISRAEL DOES AND

PROPORTIONAL HOW DO THEY LOOK AT

A PROPORTIONAL AFTER WHAT THEY

HAVE JUST SEEN? IF INDEED THERE

IS LOSS OF LIFE? I WOULD IMAGINE

THAT ISRAEL'S RESPONSE WILL BE

LARGER THAN IF THERE IS NOT. AND

THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT

THE PRESIDENT AND HIS NATIONAL

SECURITY TEAM ARE TALKING ABOUT

TONIGHT. THEY HAVE OBVIOUSLY

BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ISRAEL ALL

WEEK, AND THE ISRAELIS ABOUT HOW

THEY WOULD RESPOND TRYING TO

TAMP THIS DOWN. BUT WITH 400,

500 POSSIBLE DRONES AND MISSILES

EXPECTED THIS EVENING, IT'S

PRETTY HARD TO TELL ISRAEL WHAT

TO DO.

>> AND, MARTHA, WE KNOW THAT

PRESIDENT BIDEN AND PRIME

MINISTER NETANYAHU HAVE A FROSTY

RELATIONSHIP. THEY THEY HAD A

CONVERSATION RECENTLY. BUT IS

THERE ANY SUGGESTION THAT, YOU

KNOW, WHEN THE US OR PRESIDENT

BIDEN MAKES THESE PLEAS TO

NETANYAHU AND HIS GOVERNMENT

THAT THEY WOULD ASK ACTUALLY

LISTEN TO THEM OR CONTINUE TO GO

FORWARD WITH THEIR OWN PLANS?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, OVER THE

SEVERAL MONTHS, PRESIDENT BIDEN,

OF COURSE, HAS BEEN TALKING TO

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU, ASKING

THEM TO PLEASE LET MORE

HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA, TO

PLEASE TAKE MORE CARE WITH

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. AND PRIME

MINISTER NETANYAHU HAS BASICALLY

SAID, THIS IS OUR FIGHT. STAY

OUT OF IT. ESSENTIALLY THE WHITE

HOUSE KEEPS GOING BACK TO THEM.

THEY'RE GETTING STRONGER AND

STRONGER ON THAT. AND YET IT

THIS SITUATION TONIGHT IS SO

UNPREDICTABLE. WE DON'T KNOW HOW

THIS WILL END. WE DON'T KNOW

WHAT WILL GET THROUGH. IF

ANYTHING, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY HOPING

NOTHING GETS THROUGH TO ISRAEL.

AND ALL OF THESE ARE SHOT DOWN.

BUT IT IS JUST AS YOU SAY WHAT

WHAT? IT'S A VERY FRAUGHT

RELATIONSHIP. AND ISRAEL IS

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE

ESCALATION RIGHT NOW.

>> ALL RIGHT. MARTHA RADDATZ FOR

US, OUR CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS

CORRESPONDENT. THANK YOU. SO

MUCH. WE TRULY APPRECIATE IT. I

WANT TO BRING IN OUR SENIOR

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT SELINA

WANG, WHO'S BEEN TRACKING ALL OF

THIS. SELINA WE KNOW THAT

PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS SUPPOSED TO

BE CONTINUING HIS HIS WEEKEND IN

DELAWARE, BUT HE WENT BACK TO

THE WHITE HOUSE EARLY TODAY TO

MEET WITH HIS NATIONAL SECURITY

TEAM. THEY WERE IN THE SITUATION

ROOM. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM

THE ADMINISTRATION RIGHT NOW?

>> EXACTLY WHAT? HE CUT HIS

WEEKEND TRIP SHORT AND I'M TOLD

BY OFFICIALS THAT HE HAS BEEN

HOLED UP IN THE SITUATION ROOM

FOR HOURS, AND THEY'RE JUST

WRAPPING THAT MEETING UP WITH

HIS TOP NATIONAL SECURITY

ADVISERS, THE PRESIDENT, THOUGH,

HE'S MAKING VERY CLEAR TONIGHT

THAT AMERICA'S SUPPORT OF

ISRAEL'S DEFENSE IS IRONCLAD.

AND DESPITE THAT VERY FROSTY

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NETANYAHU

AND PRESIDENT BIDEN, AS YOU WERE

JUST TALKING ABOUT WITH MARTHA,

HE IS MAKING THAT DISTINCTION

VERY CLEAR. NOW, LOOK, THE WHITE

HOUSE IS ON HIGH ALERT. THEY'VE

BEEN ON HIGH ALERT FOR DAYS. AND

OFFICIALS TELL ME THAT ANXIETIES

HERE ARE RUNNING VERY HIGH

BECAUSE THE US IS VERY WORRIED

ABOUT HOW ISRAEL COULD RESPOND

TO THIS AND HOW THIS COULD WIDEN

THIS WAR. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT

THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN AVOIDING.

THUS FAR. HE'S BEEN VERY CAREFUL

TO CALIBRATE AND TO MESSAGE TO

ALL OF THE PARTNERS AND ALLIES

TO ISRAEL, NOT TO ESCALATE AND

TO CONTAIN THIS.

>> NOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS

ASKED THIS WEEK, WHAT'S YOUR

MESSAGE TO IRAN IF THEY'RE

CONSIDERING AN ATTACK ON ISRAEL?

HIS MESSAGE WAS PRETTY BLUNT. HE

SAID, DON'T, THAT, SAID SELENA.

THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BEEN PRESSED

REPEATEDLY ABOUT WHAT THE

RESPONSE WOULD BE FROM THE US.

WE HEARD MARTHA TALKING ABOUT

THIS, THAT THE US FOR THE MOST

PART IN A SUPPORTING ROLE HERE,

BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE

INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT OUR

INVOLVEMENT COULD BE? I KNOW

THAT WE SENT NEW ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES TO THE REGION. WE'RE

TALKING SHIPS AND MANPOWER. WHAT

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT

EXACTLY?

>> I MEAN, THE US WAS TRYING TO

PREPARE FOR THIS SITUATION,

THOUGH. THEY WANTED TO AVOID

THIS. SO THEY WERE ALREADY

SURGING MILITARY ASSETS TO THE

REGION BECAUSE A BIG

VULNERABILITY HERE IS US FORCES.

SO THEY WANT TO PROTECT THOSE US

FORCES IN THE REGION. AND FOR

DAYS NOW, THE US HAS BEEN

TELEGRAPHING TO IRAN, AS YOU

SAY, DO NOT DO THIS, DO NOT

TARGET US FORCES. THE US HAS

MADE CLEAR THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW

ABOUT THIS DAMASCUS STRIKE

BEFOREHAND. THEY WEREN'T

INVOLVED IN IT. THEY ARE A

MESSAGE TO IRAN IS DON'T GET US

PULLED INTO THIS. DON'T GET US

INVOLVED. SO THAT IS VERY MUCH

THE MESSAGE THE PRESIDENT HAS

BEEN DELIVERING. IT'S UNCLEAR

WHAT THIS RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH

NETANYAHU IS GOING TO BE GOING

FORWARD IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT THE ISRAELI RESPONSE IS

GOING TO BE. REMEMBER, NOT TOO

LONG AGO, PRESIDENT BIDEN ISSUED

HIS STRONGEST CRITICISM OF

NETANYAHU YET AND SAID, IF YOU

DON'T DO MORE, IF YOU DON'T DO

ENOUGH TO PROTECT CIVILIANS IN

GAZA, THEN WE COULD CHANGE OUR

POLICY TOWARDS ISRAEL. THAT

COULD MEAN WITHHOLDING U.S. AID.

IF ISRAEL DOESN'T DO ENOUGH. AND

OFFICIALS TELL ME THAT WHAT THE

PRESIDENT HAS LAID OUT IN TERMS

OF GETTING MORE HUMANITARIAN AID

IN OPENING THOSE BORDER

CROSSINGS, OFFICIALS TELL ME

THAT IS REALLY THE PRESIDENT'S

BASELINE. AND IF EVEN THAT

DOESN'T GET ACCOMPLISHED, WELL,

THEN WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM HERE.

>> SELINA WANG, FOR US AT THE

WHITE HOUSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

LET'S BRING IN COLONEL STEVE

GANYARD, OUR ABC NEWS

CONTRIBUTOR. AND, STEVE, I JUST

WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE

UNPRECEDENTED NATURE OF THIS

ATTACK. IRAN GOING AFTER ISRAEL

DIRECTLY WITHIN ITS BORDERS,

HAVE WE EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE

THIS?

>> WELL, WE'VE NEVER SEEN AN

ATTACK DIRECTLY BY IRAN ON

ISRAEL. THAT'S UNPRECEDENTED.

BUT THE NUMBERS HERE ARE WHAT'S

SO AMAZING. WRIT 4 TO 500

INCOMING DRONES AND MISSILES.

THAT'S UNPRECEDENTED FOR ANY AIR

DEFENSE SYSTEM. NOW, WE KNOW

THAT THE ISRAELIS HAVE THE MOST

SOPHISTICATED AND CAPABLE

INTEGRATED AIR AND MISSILE

DEFENSE CAPABILITY. BUT 4 TO 500

MEANS THAT IT PROBABLY IS ALMOST

INEVITABLE THAT SOME ARE GOING

TO GET THROUGH. IT'S INTERESTING

TO LOOK AT THE KINDS OF VIDEOS

THAT THAT WE SEE BRIT BRINGING

FROM FROM JERUSALEM, WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT THE IRON DOME AND

EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH THE

IRON DOME AND WHAT THAT DOES

AGAINST SOME OF THE SHORT RANGE

MISSILES COMING OUT OF GAZA. BUT

THE ISRAELIS HAVE A LAYERED

DEFENSE. SO IT'S IRON DOME AT

THE LOWER ALTITUDES. THEN

THERE'S ANOTHER SYSTEM CALLED

DAVID'S SLING, WHICH IS THE

MEDIUM ALTITUDES. AND THEN FOR

VERY HIGH BALLISTIC MISSILE

INTERCEPTS, THERE'S THE ARROW

TWO MISSILE. AND SO A LOT OF

WHAT WE SEEM TO BE SEEING HERE

IS NOT IS MORE OF THE DAVID'S

SLING. IT'S LESS IRON DOME. SO

DAVID SLING A BIT OF A NEWER

SYSTEM, BUT IT DOES REACH UP

HIGHER AND IT DOES SEEM TO BE

INTERCEPTING THESE INCOMING

IRANIAN ATTACKS AT A HIGHER

ALTITUDE.

>> SO, STEVE, LET ME ASK YOU

MORE ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE, YOU

KNOW, BEYOND THE DRONES AND

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY

HUNDREDS FROM IRAN TONIGHT, WE

ALSO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE AN

ELABORATE BALLISTIC MISSILE

SYSTEM.

>> TALK TO US ABOUT THE

DIFFERENCE AND THE TYPE OF

DAMAGE THAT THESE MISSILES COULD

DO. THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN

LIKE THE ROCKETS THAT WE

TYPICALLY TYPICALLY SEE, SEE

BEING SHOT FROM LIKE GAZA OR

FROM HEZBOLLAH INTO ISRAEL.

>> RIGHT. THERE'S STILL

CONFLICTING REPORTS WITH ABOUT

WHETHER THE IRANIANS ACTUALLY

HAVE LAUNCHED BALLISTIC

MISSILES, BUT THAT'S WHAT THAT

ARROW TWO SYSTEM IS. IT'S A VERY

HIGH ALTITUDE BALLISTIC MISSILE

INTERCEPTOR. SO IT'S NOT EASY TO

INTERCEPT BALLISTIC MISSILES.

BUT THE ARROW TWO HAS PROVEN

QUITE CAPABLE. SO THAT'S THE

REAL CONCERN HERE, BECAUSE IF

IRAN STARTS LAUNCHING THESE LONG

RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES, THAT

IS GOING TO PROVOKE ISRAEL IN A

WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT ITS

RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE

OVERWHELMING. SO WHAT WE SEE

TONIGHT WITH 4 TO 500 MISSILES

AND DRONES COMING INBOUND, I

THINK THAT THE WHAT'S THAT? THE

IRANIANS HAVE BOUGHT THEMSELVES

A RETALIATORY STRIKE THAT WILL

BE MUCH MORE FROM THE FROM THE

ISRAELIS THAN THEY PROVIDED

TONIGHT.

>> AND WHAT COULD AN ISRAELI

RETALIATORY STRIKE LOOK LIKE?

>> WELL, ISRAEL HAS A LOT MORE

CAPABILITY TO PROJECT POWER THAN

IRAN DOES. SO THEY HAVE A VERY

CAPABLE AIR FORCE. THEY HAVE

F-35 STEALTH FIGHTERS, VERY

CAPABLE F-15S. THEY HAVE CRUISE

MISSILES THAT CAN BE LAUNCHED

FROM SUBMARINES AND FROM SHIPS.

SO THE AIR POWER, THE CAPABILITY

OF THE ISRAELI AIR FORCE IS FAR

BEYOND ANYTHING THAT THE

IRANIANS HAVE. AND THE ISRAELI

AIR FORCE CAN OWN THE AIRSPACE

OVER IRAN. SO BETWEEN THAT AND

THE SHIPS AT SEA, THE ISRAELIS

HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS IN HOW

THEY RETALIATE.

>> STEVE, ANOTHER THING THAT HAS

SURPRISED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN

WATCHING THIS PLAY OUT TONIGHT,

JERUSALEM NOT TYPICALLY A PLACE

WHERE YOU WOULD SEE, YOU KNOW,

ROCKETS OR PROJECTILES SHOT TO

OBVIOUSLY A MIXED POPULATION.

>> YOU HAVE JEWS, YOU HAVE

MUSLIMS. AND THESE HOLY SITES,

AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE

POTENTIAL FOR SOMETHING GOING

WRONG, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T

TARGETING A PLACE LIKE JERUSALEM

, IF ONE OF THESE PROJECTILES

OR, YOU KNOW, A ROCKET DROPPED

IN AND INJURED CIVILIANS, HOW

SIGNIFICANT WOULD SOMETHING LIKE

THAT BE?

>> YEAH. WELL APPARENTLY THE

IRANIANS WOULD CLAIM THAT

THEY'RE ONLY GOING AFTER

MILITARY SITES.

>> THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT

MISSILE BASE THAT IS VERY CLOSE

TO JERUSALEM. SO THAT MAY BE

WHAT WHAT BRIT IS SEEING AND

HEARING. IF THEY DO GO AFTER

MILITARY BASES, THEN OBVIOUSLY

THE ISRAELIS HAVE PUT QUITE A

BIT OF THEIR AIR DEFENSES AROUND

THOSE MILITARY BASES. BUT IT'S

ONE OF THESE THINGS WHERE THE

MORE THAT COMES IN, IT'S MORE OF

A PROBLEM TO SOLVE, AND IT MAKES

IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE

IRON DOME AND THE DAVID'S SLING

AND THE ARROW TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT'S INCOMING AND A DANGER AND

WHAT'S NOT WITH THIS IDEA THAT

IF YOU HIT THEM, WHERE DO THE

WHERE DOES THE DEBRIS GO? DOES

IT HURT PEOPLE ON THE GROUND?

>> AND STEVE, LET'S TALK ABOUT

THE US HERE. WE KNOW THAT WE'RE

SHOOTING DOWN SOME OF THESE

PROJECTILES. BUT WHAT'S THE

LIKELIHOOD THIS DRAWS US DEEPER

INTO A REGIONAL CONFLICT?

>> NOW THIS IS THE REAL CONCERN

BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE

IRANIANS EARLIER IN THE WEEK

WERE VERY CLEAR THAT IF THE US

HELPED ISRAEL DEFEND AGAINST THE

ATTACK, THAT IRAN WAS SAID WAS

COMING, THAT US FORCES IN THE

REGION WOULD BECOME FAIR GAME.

SO WE NOW WE HAVE FORCES IN

IRAQ, WE HAVE FORCES IN JORDAN,

WE HAVE FORCES IN THE RED SEA.

SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, AFTER WEEKS

OF THE IRANIAN SURROGATES NOT

COMING AFTER US FORCES IN THE

REGION, WE NOW KNOW THAT THESE

FORCES ARE NOW FAIR GAME AND

OPEN TO ATTACK BY IRAN. SO

THERE'S A REAL DANGER HERE THAT

IF IRAN MISCALCULATES AND GOES

AFTER US FORCES AND IT'S CLEAR

THAT IRAN WAS THE WAS THE

INSTIGATOR, THEN THAT COULD VERY

EASILY DRAW THE US INTO A WIDER

MIDDLE EAST WAR.

>> THAT'S TRULY BEEN A MAJOR

CONCERN FOR MONTHS SINCE THAT

OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK. STEVE

GANYARD FOR US. THANK YOU SO

MUCH. LET'S BRING IN ABC'S

SENIOR PENTAGON REPORTER, LOUIS

MARTINEZ. LOUIS, I KNOW THAT

YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF SOURCES ON

THIS, AND YOU'VE BEEN CONFIRMING

MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION

THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. WHAT

MORE ARE YOU LEARNING TONIGHT

AND HAVE WE HEARD ANY UPDATE ON

WHETHER ANY OF THESE PROJECTILES

FROM IRAN HAVE ACTUALLY LANDED

AND DONE ANY DAMAGE IN ISRAEL?

>> WELL, IT'S UNCLEAR EXACTLY IF

THE FROM US SOURCES IF

OFFICIALLY YET WHETHER SOMETHING

HAS ACTUALLY LANDED INSIDE

ISRAEL. WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM

US OFFICIALS IS THAT UNITED

STATES FORCES IN THE REGION ARE

SHOOTING DOWN WHATEVER DRONES OR

MISSILES MAY BE HEADED TOWARDS

ISRAEL, IF THEY'RE CAPABLE. YOU

SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT EXACTLY

ABOUT ADDITIONAL ASSETS BEING

SENT INTO THE REGION. WE ARE

AWARE THAT TWO US NAVY

DESTROYERS WERE IN THE REGION,

BUT I THINK THAT'S MORE FOR LONG

DISTANCE, INTERCEPTS. BUT WE DO

KNOW THAT THE UNITED STATES DOES

HAVE, IN BOTH IRAQ AND JORDAN,

SOME AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS. AND IT

APPEARS THAT AT LEAST SOME OF

THOSE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS WERE

BOOSTED IN ADVANCE OF THIS IRAQI

IRANIAN RETALIATION. AND SO,

THEREFORE, ONE CAN ASSUME THAT

THOSE, MISSILE SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN

USED NOW TO BRING SOUND DOWN AT

LEAST SOME OF THESE IRANIAN

DRONES AND MISSILES THAT HAVE

BEEN HEADED TOWARDS ISRAEL.

>> AND, LOUIS, WE KNOW THAT THE

US ADDED ADDITIONAL, ASSETS INTO

THE REGION.

>> CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT?

AND ARE WE TALKING ABOUT

POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE

BOOTS ON THE GROUND, NOT

NECESSARILY ON THE GROUND, BUT

ON ON BATTLESHIPS AND WHATNOT

THROUGHOUT THE REGION?

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. WE'RE NOT

INSIDE ISRAEL PROPER. WE ARE

TALKING OUTSIDE OF ISRAEL.

THAT'S WHERE US FORCES ARE

LOCATED. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE

2500 US FORCES INSIDE IRAQ, THAT

THERE'S ABOUT 900 THAT ARE

INSIDE OF SYRIA. BUT THERE IS

ALSO A SIZABLE COMPONENT INSIDE

OF JORDAN. AND SO THOSE

LOCATIONS DO HAVE AIR DEFENSE

SYSTEMS ALREADY. SO IT'S VERY

LIKELY THAT THESE AIR DEFENSE

SYSTEMS WERE BOOSTED IN ADVANCE

OF THIS RETALIATORY STRIKE IN

FACT, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE US

WAS SENDING MORE PERSONNEL TO

THE GROUND THERE IN THE REGION

AS WELL AS AIR ASSETS. SO THAT

MEANS AVIATION AIRCRAFT AND ALSO

NAVAL. AND THAT'S THOSE TWO

DESTROYERS THAT WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE

EASTERN MED MEDITERRANEAN. AND

WHAT THEY DO IS THEY HAVE THE

CAPABILITY OF SHOOTING DOWN BOTH

LONG DISTANCE INCOMING MISSILES

AND SHORTER RANGE MISSILES. BUT

I THINK AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

US FORCES SHOOTING DOWN THESE

DRONES AND MISSILES ON THEIR WAY

TO, ISRAEL, I THINK WE CAN

ASSUME IT'S THOSE SHORTER,

DISTANCE SYSTEMS THAT THE UNITED

STATES EMPLOYS WHEN IT TRIES TO

SHOOT DOWN ANYTHING THAT'S

INCOMING TOWARDS THEIR BASES.

>> AND, LOUIS, CAN I PICK UP ON

SOMETHING THAT THAT STEVE

MENTIONED THERE? I KNOW WE GOT

THE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE

DRONES AND MISSILES, BUT WE WERE

TALKING ABOUT THE BALLISTIC

MISSILE SYSTEM THAT IRAN HAS. DO

WE HAVE ANY CONFIRMATION ON

THAT? THEY'VE LAUNCHED ANY OF

THOSE YET TOWARDS ISRAEL?

>> NO CONFIRMATION YET FROM

OFFICIALS THAT I'VE BEEN

SPEAKING TO. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS

A DEVELOPING SITUATION. AND ONE

OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN

TOLD AS AS PER MARTHA RADDATZ

REPORTING, IS THAT OVERALL, THE

US IS ANTICIPATING SOMEWHERE

BETWEEN 4 AND 500 DRONES AND

MISSILES BEING LAUNCHED AT

ISRAEL. THAT MEANS THIS IS GOING

TO TAKE SOME TIME. SO

POTENTIALLY SOME OF THOSE LONGER

RANGE, IF FASTER MOVING

BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD BE

USED. BUT NO, I DON'T HAVE

ANYTHING YET FROM ANY OFFICIALS.

I'M TALKING TO RIGHT NOW. IF

ANYTHING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

THE CRUISE MISSILES THAT HAVE

BEEN LAUNCHED, AND WE SHOULD

POINT OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH IT IS

A MISSILE, CRUISE MISSILES DO

TAKE SOME TIME TO GET TO THEIR

TARGETS AS WELL. THEY ARE NOT AS

FAST MOVING AS BALLISTIC

MISSILES, WHICH TAKE, A MUCH

FASTER, SHORTER TIME TO GET TO A

LOCATION BECAUSE THEY GO UP

HIGHER IN THE AIR AND THEN THEY

STRIKE AT THEIR TARGETS.

>> YEAH. LOUIS MARTINEZ FOR US.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. STAND BY.