BURSTIsrael is coming under a heavy bombardment on Friday from Iran after the massive attacks overnight on Tehran's nuclear capabilities.
Dozens of ballistic missiles have been fired on Tel Aviv, Israeli officials said Friday amid Iran’s counterattack.
Explosions could be heard throughout Tel Aviv. There have been at least seven hits on the ground in the city, a source told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation.
Millions of Israelis rushed into bomb shelters as missiles targeted multiple cities.
“We will take every measure necessary to protect the people of Israel,” Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs said Friday on X.
The retaliatory strikes come hours after the Israeli military took out Tehran’s top military leaders and targeted key nuclear facilities in a surprise strike Thursday.
The U.S. was not involved in the strike and has distanced itself from Israel's decision, while offering support for Jerusalem.
Nuclear talks aimed at curtailing Iran's ambitions were scheduled for this weekend, but Iran said it was withdrawing given the Israeli attack.
The attacks seems aimed at making sure Iran does not have the capability to hit Israel with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, though it is unclear if that objective has been met despite the notable successes of the mission.
Israel has reported killed key figures in Iran's political and military establishment as well as nuclear scientists. Some of the strikes came from within Iran.
President Trump on Friday urged Iran to make a deal on its nuclear program.
“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”
The response has triggered fears about a broadening war between the two powerful regional militaries.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Friday on X that Iran “must give a strong response to the evil, despicable, terrorist Zionist identity. God willing, we will respond with strength, and will show no mercy to them.”
The supreme leader, who has final say on all state matters, added that “this is a certainty that the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces will deal heavy blows to this evil Zionist enemy.”
The United States in the days before the take took steps to reduce its diplomatic footprint and to allow families of members of the military to leave the regions.
Trump administration officials on Friday said one of their focuses was on securing the safety of U.S. forces.
Israel’s operation, which involved 200 Israeli jets and struck around 100 targets, killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Cmdr. Hossein Salami and Iran’s commander-in-chief, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri.
Apart from military targets, Israel was also able to strike Natanz, a nuclear facility that produces most of fuel in Iran.
Iran initially retaliated by launching around 100 drones toward Israel, according to the IDF.
This story was updated at 3:26 p.m.