Iran has launched waves of ballistic missiles at Israel in what it describes as a “crushing response” to a deadly Israeli assault on its nuclear and military infrastructure, dramatically escalating tensions in the region.
Explosions lit up the skies over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Friday night, with air raid sirens wailing across Israel as Iranian missiles rained down in three successive waves. The salvo marks Iran’s most direct attack on Israeli territory in decades and comes just hours after Israel reportedly struck multiple targets inside Iran, including nuclear facilities, senior military officials, and scientific personnel.
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Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, accused Israel of “initiating a war,” vowing that the Islamic Republic would not allow the strikes to go unanswered.
“The Zionist regime will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime,” Khamenei said in a statement. “The Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for what it called “True Promise 3” — a major military operation targeting dozens of Israeli military installations and airbases. Iranian state media described the offensive as “precise” and ordered directly by Khamenei.
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According to Iranian news agency IRNA, hundreds of missiles were launched in the coordinated attack.
Israel’s national ambulance service, Magen David Adom, confirmed that at least five people were injured in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, one of them in moderate condition. Local media later reported at least 40 casualties across various locations, citing emergency services.
A residential tower block in central Tel Aviv was struck during the barrage, setting multiple apartments ablaze. Live footage from the scene showed heavy smoke and fire engulfing several floors, while a neighbouring building suffered extensive damage, its windows shattered and metal fixtures twisted by the impact. Two people were reportedly trapped in the rubble before being rescued by emergency workers.
The United States military intervened during the assault, helping Israeli forces intercept some of the incoming missiles, according to American officials quoted by Reuters and the Associated Press.
Despite the partial success of Israeli and US air defences, Iranian munitions breached the shield in several places. Gideon Levy, a journalist with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and a resident of Tel Aviv, told the BBC that he had taken shelter in a public bomb shelter as the missiles struck.
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“We heard quite loud the explosions. Not a very pleasant feeling,” Levy said. “Some were intercepted, but some fell. There were at least two cases where they fell directly on buildings and destroyed them partially. There are no casualties, but people were injured. And quite a lot of destruction.”
Following the attack, Iran temporarily closed its airspace until 2pm local time on Saturday. Air defence systems were reportedly activated in Tehran amid fears of further Israeli retaliation.
As the situation develops, the risk of a broader regional war looms large, with both countries now openly engaged in direct strikes on one another’s territory.
