Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel's
two largest cities, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves
of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. The military said its air
defence systems were operating.
"In the last hour, dozens of missiles have been
launched at the state of Israel from Iran, some of which were
intercepted," the Israeli military said.
It said rescue teams were working at a number of locations
across the country where fallen projectiles were reported, without commenting
on casualties.
In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital
Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's
Mehrabad airport, and Iranian media said flames were reported there. Close to
key Iranian leadership sites, the airport hosts an air force base with fighter
jets and transport aircraft
Israeli media said a suspected missile came down in Tel
Aviv, and a Reuters witness heard a loud boom in Jerusalem. It was unclear
whether Iranian strikes or Israeli defensive measures were behind the activity.
The Fars news agency said Tehran launched waves of
airstrikes on Saturday after two salvos on Friday night. One of the waves
targeted Tel Aviv before dawn on Saturday, with explosions heard in the capital
and Jerusalem, witnesses said.
Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on
Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear
sites. Iran denies that its uranium enrichment activities are part of a secret
weapons program.
In central Tel Aviv, a high-rise building was hit, damaging
the lower third of the structure in a densely populated urban area. An
apartment block in nearby Ramat Gan was destroyed.
