Updated 1:13 p.m. ET — U.S. officials warned on Tuesday that the attacks from Iran on Israel are meant to target military and government sites in the country, not citizens.
Officials shared with NBC News that the expectation is that this attack would involve more firepower than Iran's attack on Israel in April, which saw hundreds of drones launched at the country as well as some ballistic missiles.
Iran has not yet commented on the attacks.
Original Story — The Israeli Defense Forces has shared that Iran has launched ballistic missiles at the country just hours after the United States had warned its ally of the threat.
“All Israeli civilians are in bomb shelters as rockets from Iran are fired at Israel,” the IDF said in a post on X.
The action is sure to spark an even broader conflict in the Middle East, just a day after Israel ramped up its efforts against the militant group Hezbollah, which included officially launching a ground operation in southern Lebanon on Monday.
CNN reported on Tuesday that the US has seen indications Iran is preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, the media outlet said, citing a senior White House official.
“A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” the White House official said in a statement.
As for the operation in Lebanon, the country’s officials have said the invasion would be limited in scope and length, but the move from Israel could have major consequences for the Middle East and the United States.
The ground operation comes almost a year after the war between Israel and Hamas was started when Israeli troops raided southern Lebanon. It was also almost a year ago that Hezbollah began firing rockets toward Israel in solidarity with Palestine.
A senior Israeli official shared with Axios that the ground operation in Lebanon is not an occupation but an effort to destroy Hezbollah outposts, tunnels, and other military infrastructure in villages close to the border.
“We have no intention of drowning in the Lebanese mud. We will go in and go out at the end. This is a tactical operation that is limited in time and scope,” the official said.
Israel has been targeting Hezbollah for months, most recently launching a widespread attack on their communication devices, which killed dozens and left hundreds injured.
More recently, the country has taken credit for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whose body was recovered on Sunday, CNN reported.
The news of the attack on Israel by Iran is breaking. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.