Iran claims it has shot down two Israeli jets and that its response to Friday night’s attacks on nuclear and military infrastructure has begun.
The reports emerged as smoke was seen rising from Tel Aviv as Iran launched missiles at the Israeli city.
Air raid sirens had been heard across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as the missiles neared Israel.
Footage has shown Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system – which uses radars to detect and intercept short-range rockets, missiles and drones – stopping Iranian missiles from striking the city.
However, video also suggests some missiles made it through. According to Israeli medics, a total of 34 people were taken to hospital in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
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How Iran’s retaliatory attack unfolded
In a statement at around 1:50am on Saturday local time (11:50pm on Friday UK time), the Israel Defense Forces said: “In the past hour, dozens of missiles have been launched from Iran toward the State of Israel. Some of the missiles were intercepted.
“Search and Rescue forces are currently operating in a number of locations across the country in which reports of fallen projectiles were received.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian Army had earlier said in a statement that its “defence forces successfully hit and destroyed two F-35 fighter jets belonging to the zionist entity, in addition to a large number of small drones”.
“The fate of the two fighter pilots remains unknown and is being investigated,” the statement added.
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Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv tonight. Pic: AP
Smoke rises in Tel Aviv after Iranian strike
The escalation in the region comes after Israel launched a huge attack on Iran on Friday, which it says was aimed at degrading the country’s nuclear ambitions and weakening its military.
Israel was able to target key facilities and kill top generals and scientists.
It said it airstrikes were necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon.
As Israel braced itself for a retaliation, the IRNA state news agency in Iran confirmed this evening that the country’s response had begun.
It came as a reporter with the Iranian Tasnim news agency said missiles had been fired from Shiraz and Isfahan in Iran towards Israel.
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An explosion is seen during a missile attack in Tel Aviv tonight. Pic: AP Photo/Tomer Neuberg
Sky News correspondent Mark Stone, who used to be based in Jerusalem, has said Iran is trying to “overwhelm the Iron Dome defence system, which has to be manually reloaded again and again”.
He added: “[The Iron Dome] can be overwhelmed. We saw a number of instances in the videos a moment ago where it was clearly overwhelmed and some of those ballistic missiles hit targets in Tel Aviv.”
Three American officials have told Sky’s US partner network NBC News that the US military helped Israel down some Iranian missiles this evening.
Response workers in Tel Aviv. Pic: Magen David Adom
The aftermath of the attack on Tel Aviv. Pic: Magen David Adom
As the barrage of missiles was fired at Israel, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote on X: “The Zionist regime (Israel) will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime.
“The Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured,” he said, adding Iran will “inflict heavy blows” on Israel.
Mr Khamenei also said that Israel has initiated a war and that Tehran will not allow it to conduct “hit and run” attacks without grave consequences.
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Smoke rises in Iran after Israeli strikes
It came before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians to stand up to the regime in Tehran and help Israel “clear the path for you to achieve your freedom”.
In a video released during Iran’s missile attack on Israel, Mr Netanyahu said Israel had taken out a “large portion” of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and its “most significant enrichment facility”.
“More is on the way,” he added. “The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard.”
The Israeli military has told people they can now leave air raid shelters but must stay near them in case of further attacks.
The Israel Defence Forces issued instructions earlier this evening telling residents to stay in shelters and minimise movement in open areas.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump have agreed the mounting conflict between Iran and Israel should be resolved by “diplomacy and dialogue”.
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Israeli ambassador: ‘We were expecting Iran’s retaliation’
The two leaders spoke on Friday evening, as western nations began a diplomatic flurry to calm the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Sir Keir earlier urged Mr Netanyahu to de-escalate and work towards a “diplomatic resolution”.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump urged Iran to quickly reach an agreement on curbing its nuclear program as Israel vowed to continue its bombardment of the country.
Mr Trump framed the volatile moment in the Middle East as a possible “second chance” for Iran’s leadership to avoid further destruction “before there is nothing left and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”
The US president had urged Mr Netanyahu not to attack Iran.
The two leaders had what was described as a heated 40-minute exchange by telephone last Monday.
Speaking just hours before the attack, Mr Trump said he feared such action would destroy US hopes of an agreement with Iran to curtail its nuclear programme.
