Maps show how US, Israeli weaponry was used against Iran's aerial attack

Israel is weighing its response to an Iranian attack carried out by an estimated 300 drones and missiles Saturday, Iran’s first direct strike against Israel ever and a move that could lead to open warfare between the two nations.

The attack caused relatively minor damage, officials said. About 99% of the Iranian weapons were shot down with the help of the U.S., U.K. and Jordan, according to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military and a defense force post on Instagram.

The attack is an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran and could spark a military escalation that could involve the U.S. and other countries and alter the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. and European military forces intercepted more than 80 uncrewed one-way attack aerial vehicles and at least six ballistic missiles, the U.S. Central Command said Sunday.

In the Mediterranean Sea, two U.S. guided-missile destroyers, the USS Carney and the USS Arleigh Burke, shot down four to six ballistic missiles, the U.S. Naval Institute reported Sunday.

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F-15E Strike Eagles from two squadrons shot down about 70 attack drones, according to The Washington Post.

Most of the drones and missile were fired from inside Iran. A few penetrated Israeli defenses, seriously injuring a 10-year-old girl with shrapnel and causing minor damage to a military base, Israeli officials said.

Did Israel bomb the Iranian Embassy in Syria?

Iran said it launched the attack in retaliation for an airstrike by Israeli warplanes on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. Iran said seven of its military advisers, including three senior commanders, were killed in the attack. Israel never confirmed it was behind the attack.

Iran said Sunday that it would not retaliate further unless Israel counterattacked.

What weapons did Iran use?

According to Israeli officials, aerial weapons used in the attack included:

• 170 Shahed-136 drones
• 120 ballistic missiles
• 30 cruise missiles

Ballistic missiles are powered by one or more rockets that lift the missile into the atmosphere on an arching trajectory. The rockets then shut down and the unpowered missile descends to its target.

Cruise missiles are powered by jet engines. They can be launched from the ground, air or sea. The missiles can fly very low and are difficult to detect.

Cruise missiles are self-guiding but can be controlled by remote operators with cameras.

How the Iranian attack unfolded

The attack started at about 3:30 p.m Eastern time, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War. It consisted of at least three waves over several hours.

Drones were launched first; ballistic missiles were fired about an hour later so they would strike Israel at about the same time, according to a statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps that was reported by the BBC.

The Defense Department said U.S. forces from undisclosed bases in the region intercepted dozens of missiles and drones launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Military forces from the U.S., U.K., Jordan and Israel began intercepting drones and missiles outside Israeli airspace between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern, the war study institute said.

Israeli defense systems helped thwart the attack

Israel's Iron Dome and Arrow 3 systems were credited with shooting down most of the drones and missiles from Iran.

The Iron Dome is a mobile all-weather missile defense system, designed to detect and shoot down short-range rockets fired into Israel. It’s also used against enemy artillery and drones.

How the Iron Dome system works:

Iron Dome can detect and engage rockets up to 40 miles away. Each of its 10 batteries can protect a 58-square-mile area.

It’s a portable system, towed by trucks. The batteries are units with three main elements:

• ELM 2084 Multimission Radar (MMR): Radar that detects incoming threats from Palestinian territories and Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon.
• Battle management and weapon control system (BMC): A computer that tracks a rocket’s trajectory and calculates whether it will hit an inhabited area. Rockets presenting the greatest threat are targeted. Rockets that will fall into uninhabited regions are ignored.
• Tamir missiles and launchers: Each battery has three to four launchers, each with up to 20 Tamirs. The control system launches a missile that will intercept and destroy the incoming rocket.

Work on the Iron Dome began in 2007. It became operational in March 2011 and has been upgraded over the years. Its success rate has exceeded 90%, says its manufacturer, Raytheon says.

Iron Dome is designed as protection against rockets at low altitudes. It's part of Israel's three-tiered air defense system that includes:

◾ David's Sling: Defense against short-range ballistic missiles, large-caliber rockets and cruise missiles.

◾ Arrow-3: Defense against medium-range ballistic missiles.

Israel also uses U.S. Patriot missiles to defend itself from enemy aircraft and drones.

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; U.S. Department of Defense; Institute for the Study of War; Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation; U.S. Naval Institute