Israel and Iran exchange attacks as Middle East tensions rise
The Israeli Air Force is "working to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat," military officials said in a statement posted on the social media platform X. For its part, Tehran vows revenge and dozens of missiles fall on Israeli territory, whose government calls up its reservists.
Israel launched sweeping attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military establishment on Friday, using warplanes and drones it had previously smuggled into the Islamic Republic to target key facilities and kill top generals and scientists—an attack it claimed was necessary before its adversary could build an atomic weapon.
Iran responded that same day by firing dozens of ballistic missiles toward Israel, where the explosions lit up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook buildings.
Israeli media reported Iranian missile attacks on central Tel Aviv and other areas of the country following a third and fourth wave of attacks launched by Iran, as part of the military escalation between the two countries.
During the afternoon and early hours of Saturday, Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged missile attacks, and tensions remain high, with constant reports of new launches.
Fourth wave of missiles from Iran and alarms across Israel
Iran launched a fourth wave of missiles at Israel early Saturday morning, triggering alarms in several parts of the country, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported. Although the Israeli army itself had informed its population a few minutes later that the threat had passed and that they could "leave the protected areas," the IDF again reported that it had identified new missiles launched from Iran and again ordered civilians to take cover.
Iran is responding to Israel's sweeping offensive against Iranian nuclear and military facilities and personnel last Friday, which left around 78 dead and 320 wounded, according to Iranian media.
"A new round of Honest Promise 3 attacks," Iran's official channel reported, referring to the name of the Iranian military operation in response to previous attacks against the Islamic Republic.
The new Iranian missile attack against Israel left at least 3 dead and 19 wounded
At least two people were killed and 19 injured, including two in critical and serious condition, after a new series of missile attacks launched by Iran in central Israel early Saturday morning, the Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service reported.
"A missile landed in a residential area in the Israeli coastal plains, where MDA personnel are providing medical care," the agency said in a statement. Among the injured are a 30-year-old man in critical condition and a 45-year-old man in serious condition, as well as a 50-year-old woman in moderate to severe condition and ten other people with minor to moderate injuries, the report said.
Israeli police also confirmed they were responding to an attack in the Central District, a region encompassing the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, where injuries were reported in a building hit by a missile. Three people have died in Israel since the Iranian retaliatory attack began on Friday.