You are in the, cnn newsroom. Hi, everyone. I am jessica dean in washington and we begin this hour at the white house President Biden unexpectedly on his way back to the white house right now, were turning from delaware to meet with his National Security council over rising tensions in the middle east. Us officials including biden himself warned and iranian attack on israeli territory could be coming within the next few days leaving both the us and Israeli Forces on high alert. And weve already seen some aggression this morning as ronnie and forces seized a Container Ship with ties to an israeli businessman. It was intercepted in the strait of hormuz. The only Shipping Routes that connects the persian gulf to the open ocean and joining us now senior White House House reporter kevin liptak and Senior International correspondent been wedeman. Lets talk to kevin first. We know the president is on the way back to the white house. How is it responding to this moment . As israel awaits of Potential Attack from iran yeah, President Biden departing delaware a few moments ago, he will be back here at the white house to consult with his National Security team as it appears this iranian attack is imminent. And certainly you get the sense from the conversations that american officials are having with their israeli counterparts that they do view this happening in the near term, the defense secretary lloyd austin, spoke with his counterpart in israel about urgent regional threats according to the pentagon and the american National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan speaking to his counterpart to reiterate ironclad us support for israel and certainly the fact that President Biden decided to cut his weekend in delaware does give you a sense that american officials, you the timeline for these reprisals as within hours, not days, how this unfolds remains to be seen. It is an open question. Who aware these attacks are launched . What types of weapons are used and where they are launched from. But certainly hes simmering tensions between iran and israel now reaching one of their most dangerous moments in this conflict, certainly President Biden has reiterated american support for israel, but at the same time, he is hopeful not to drag the us more directly into conflict with iran. And it is very notable that american officials over the last several days have been careful to reiterate that they do not believe iran is planning to attack us forces in the region. But certainly this is a very precarious moment between President Biden and netanyahu, who have had their differences over the war in gaza at this moment, however, President Biden, certainly eager to reiterate his Ironclad Support for israel at this very, very uncertain moment. Jessica right. And more to come in the next hour is kevin. We will keep in close contact with you. Thanks so much. Lets go now to ben wedeman bent. What are you hearing . About a Potential Attack on israeli soil well, certainly everyone in the region is bracing for what looks like the very real possibility of an iranian in strike on israel in response to 1 april, israeli strike on the iranian consulate in damascus. Now we know, for instance that the jordanians have closed airspace. The jordanian airspace, and planes that were heading for jordan have turned around. Keep in mind that jordan is to the east of israel. And if any anything is coming from iran, it would very likely fly through jordanian airspace. We know that in israel the government is on higher alert and the Prime Minister is in a florida Fight Location that all universities and schools which are due to go into sessions tomorrow, sundays the beginning of the weekend. Israel have been canceled in anticipation of for this possible iranian strike i think the real worry is not necessarily whats going to happen within iranian strike. Keep in mind, its a long way from iran. Israel has the technical capabilities but to track anything coming from that direction. And also probably to shoot it down. The worry is, what will israels response to that be . That has gotten many people in this part of the world very worried now, lebanon is sort of the place where peoples attitude is keep calm and carry on. But we know from people on the border with israel, the lebanese border, israeli border. Is that at this moment there is heavy exchanges of fire mostly coming from israel onto lebanon, which would indicate that if tensions are going to increase, therell be increasing here in lebanon as well. Jessica and i wanted to just interrupt you for one moment. We do have reporting from one of our colleagues, baraka vdd, who says that iran has launched Drone Strikes at israel that is coming from four sources. What are you hearing on the ground . Well, weve seen his tweet citing four israeli and american officials and hes a fairly reliable source thats why he works for cnn were also seen on social media reports of people in western iran and in iraq, seen something flying over head. So certainly we should give serious credence to these reports that perhaps the iranian attack has already begun. But as i said, its a long way from iran to israel and its very likely the israelis are tracking whatever is coming their way. And well be able to shoot it down jessica. Okay. All right. But thats been wedeman there in beirut and then just stay with us for one second, just to reiterate what we know right now, Breaking News again, coming from our colleague barak ravid is that iran has launched attacks against israel using dozens of drones that because according to for us and israeli officials again, this is in response to the strike that israel took credit four in syria that killed iranian generals and so that is what we are seeing play out. Now this is something that President Biden and the white house and his administration had warned of. We know that the us has been on high alert, that israel has been on high alert as they prepare for this retaliatory strike. And now it appears again, according to this Breaking News from our colleague barak ravid, that iran has begun its attack against israel using dozens of drones again, that is according to for us and israeli officials, i want to bring in the cn and Global Affairs analyst mark esper, who served as the Secretary Of Defense in the Trump Administration. He is joining us now in washington first of all, thanks for being here. We are getting this Breaking News. We see the president who is cutting his trip short. Hes coming back back to convene a meeting with all of his staff and with the pertinent security personnel, the nsc, the dod, everyone is gathering there at the white house and we also are hearing this news that iran has launched these drones. How do you expect this to play out over the next hours to come . Well, first of all, good afternoon, jessica. Good to be with you. Look, its Breaking News. It has to be confirmed. I think further has been rightly pointed out. Its a Long Distance from iran to israel easily over 1,000 miles the iranian says suspect are less inclined to fly over saudi jordanian, and other airspace. And so the path in would be via Cruise Missiles which can, which can make turns. And they would come in through iraq and in syria and into israel. But honestly, im surprised that they would tack israel proper israel did not attack iran. It was they attack the consulate in syria, but an attack by iran on israel proper really is going to be a prelude to a regional war. Israels not going to stand for that at all and so this would be very interesting to see if this report is accurate. Im a little surprised. I thought they might go as far as you know. The type of attacks are used in the past going back since 90s were attacks on embers embassies abroad, whether it was in south america, asia, europe. You name it to me. I think thats still a viable possibility that they attack a Israeli Embassy and official or Something Like that abroad . But this will be significant if they actually are launching a Cruise Missiles or longrange drones against israel, proper. Well see what happens. And so we have a president and an administration that hes tried very hard to keep this conflict from widening out from the moments that october 7 unfurled they have tried very hard to keep this conflict from becoming bigger. As youre alluding to there this really raises the risk of the Conflict Spilling over and getting much larger. What can President Biden and his team do right now as they both signify that they will be standing by israel as an ally and doing and his Jake Sullivan said, Ironclad Support for israel, but also trying to keep this from widening out sure well look at it. It looks like they havent done all the right things last few days with regard to talking to the israelis, i assume sharing intelligence, talking to arab partners as well in the region we got to keep in mind, de had vested interests here, but theyre doing all the same things that i did that my colleagues did when the Trump Administration faced off against iran and late 2019 and early 2020, i think it was very prudent to move destroyers into that facility. They have very great antimissile and other antidrug capabilities that would help israel shoot down any incoming attacks. And again, if its Cruise Missiles or drones and Ballistic Missiles, its such a far distance. We can see those and track those and it will make them easier to shoot those down. So i think a big part of it now is if this is real, is to shoot down as many, if not all as you can. That of course, if theres if theres little damage that gives israel the United States more options on how to respond and when to respond. So i think those are all prudence steps that are taking. Im sure theyve 40 hardened us facilities in the region disbursed us forces, but ive never believed since last week that the us would be the target because we do know that the attack was conducted by israel. And the last thing that iran wants to do is to take on both israel and the United States. All right. And the United States has been unequivocal that they were not involved in that attack at all, that israel acted independent of the us and weve been told in our reporting that the us doesnt expect that um, that us forces will be targeted. But again, if youre just joining us to bring you in on the Breaking News here, our colleague brock ravid reporting that iran has launched an attack against israel using dozens of drones. And we have here the former Secretary Of Defense, mark esper walking us through what this could all mean. And it would seem to me, and you kind of alluded to this just a moment ago that now that this has started and we will wait to see exactly how it plays out to your point and see exactly how this kind of plays out over the next several hours and days but the next step would be for israel to decide how they would like to respond to this. And that the us will be in quite close contact as they navigate through that, i would imagine yeah, absolutely. Again, we have to see where the where the missiles or drones hit. It could be that theyre not going to israel proper, but maybe theyre going to some content just like the golan heights, which many would say is not israeli territory. But maybe theyre going after some israeli facilities. There, a command post or Something Like that . I think with regard to the larger perspective of the United States, again, i think what theyre going to rely on his President Biden being the calm, rational actor here trying to help israel think through how and whether to respond. Frankly, because again, he does not want a regional war. I dont think its anybodys interest right now to have original regional war. But at the end of the day, jessica, keep in mind everything thats happened since october 7, beginning, i argue with hamas attacking israel on that tragic date. All goes back to israel. Israel funds and supplies and inspires and in many ways directs whether its hamas in gaza, hezbollah in lebanon, the houthis yemen, the islamic militias in syria and iraq, it all goes back to iran. So inevitably this is where this war is going to end up, whether its today, tomorrow, or a month from now, a year from now, five years from now this is what will happen. And look, this is big because in the, in the 40 some years since the israeli and iranian relationship soured after the 1979 and running revolution. I dont recall iran and israel ever going to direct blows. So this would be a major a major game change here. In 40 some years of conflict, marked in the last ten or 15 or so, i buy a Proxy Conflict between these two countries. So this will be big if indeed iran strikes israel proper right . All right, stan will stay with us and just stand by mark. I want to go to Jeremy Diamond, who is there in jerusalem with more jeremy, what are you . Learning right now well, the Israeli Military has just confirm that iran has indeed launched multiple drones from its territory in the direction of israel well, we understand that it will take these drones several hours to actually reach israeli territory. Their targets are unknown at this hour or at least they havent been publicly identified by israel i hug daniel hagari, the spokesman for the Israeli Military who made this announcement, didnt specify the exact number of drones, but im told separately by an israeli official that the number of drones is indeed in the dozens, dozens of iranian drones being fired from im iranian territory headed in the direction of israel. We dont know what the targets are. We also dont know if these drones could just be one part of this iranian attack. Could there also be missiles which have a much shorter flight time that could also be fired and hit later on in a simultaneous attack. So a lot of questions, but this very significant news that we are now hearing officially from the Israeli Military that iran has indeed launched a dozen dozens of drones fired them in the direction of israel. And we understand that it will take hours before those drones actually reach here. In the meantime, the Israeli Military is telling, israeli civilians to be digital into listen to the instructions of the home front command, which earlier tonight updated its guidance to israeli civilians limiting public gatherings in north israel, as well as the israeli communities surrounding the gaza strip also closing schools for the coming days, but it does now appear, or as weve been anticipating, this potential iranian response that we at least now know. The first chapter of that response. And the form that it is beginning to take. We also know so that is really government officials in recent days have been warning that an iranian attack from iranian soil onto israeli soil would result in a commensurate israeli response, meaning an Israeli Attack on iranian soil. So we will have to see how this all plays out. To what extent israeli is able to intercept those drones using its air defense capabilities a lot of questions, but we are starting to get the beginning of the answers in terms of what exactly this iranian attack, what shape it is beginning to take. Yeah, what it might look like. Okay. Jeremy, stay with us. I want to go back to mark esper for a second because mark were digesting what jeremy is just telling us now and i want to get your take on a couple of things. First of all, this, the fact that its going to take several hours for these drones to get there. What does that mean in terms of being able to shoot these down to prepare for them, what does that look like . Shorts. Its not difficult to shoot the drones down. They launched dozens because some will malfunction and routes, some will get lost. You want some to make their way through. But if this is really an iranian fullthroated attack, they would face it in so all missiles so everything hits their targets around the same time so at some point they would march, launch Ballistic Missiles. Its worth noting that iran has the largest and most diverse Ballistic Missile force in the region. And its probably their singularly the best capable conventional capability. But they would launch Ballistic Missiles at some point to time with the landing of the cruise missile, with the Cruise Missiles and drones. And that would only take a matter of minutes for Ballistic Missile