Central Tel Aviv was impacted by ballistic missiles fired from Iran on Friday, after Israel said it had detected dozens of missiles launched from Iran and was working to intercept them. Israeli paramedics said they were treating five injured people and Israeli officials urged people to take shelter. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran had “crossed a red line” by firing missiles at populated civilian areas in Israel.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier said Israel “should expect severe punishment” for Israel’s wide-ranging attack on the country’s nuclear program and military leadership. In waves of strikes that began early Friday local time and continued through the day, Israel killed the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and struck dozens of targets, pushing the region into a new conflict with uncertain consequences.

President Trump told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that he was aware of Israel’s plans to attack Iran: “Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what’s going on.” Earlier, he urged Iran’s leadership to make a deal “before there is nothing left.”

Here’s what to know:

IRGC commander Hossein Salami and two other generals were killed, punching a hole in Tehran’s military leadership.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation would last “as many days as it takes.” Israel planned 14 days of operations, a senior Israeli official said.

Long before Israel’s attacks, agents smuggled explosive drones and other guided weapons into Iran, an official said.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz decided Monday that the attack would begin Friday local time, an official said.

From 48m ago 19.49 BST Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they carried out attacks against dozens of Israeli targets Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that they carried out attacks against dozens of targets in Israel on Friday night. Speaking to Reuters, one Iranian senior official said: “Our revenge has just started, they will pay a high price for killing our commanders, scientists and people.” The official added that “nowhere in Israel will be safe” and that “our revenge will be painful.” Iranian state TV is also reporting that at least one Israeli fighter jet was downed by air defense and that its pilot has been detained, Reuters reports. Share Updated at 19.53 BST

now 20.38 BST Benjamin Netanyahu: Public permitted to leave sheltered places Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the public is permitted to leave sheltered places following a fresh wave of retaliatory missiles flown over Israel from Iran. In an address on Saturday night, Netanyahu said that “the Iranian regime has never been weaker,” adding that “this is an opportunity for the Iranian people to stand up against the regime.” Netanyahu also directly addressed the Iranian public, saying: “I am with you, the Israeli people are with you.” Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said that Iran “crossed red lines by launching missiles towards Israeli civilian areas,” adding that “Tehran will pay a heavy price.” Iran’s latest wave of retaliatory missile attacks across Israel follows Israel’s aerial strikes on Iran which targeted nuclear facilities while killing commanders and scientists. Share

4m ago 20.33 BST Iran has launched retaliatory missiles at Israel. Projectiles were seen flying across Tel Aviv’s night sky and at least one evaded Israel’s air defence system to strike the ground: 0:58 Explosions heard in Tel Aviv as Iran launches retaliatory missiles at Israel – video Share

22m ago 20.16 BST Israeli rescuers said that seven people were injured on Friday in the centre of the country, shortly after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israel, Reuters reports. Speaking on Israel’s Channel 12, Eli Bin, the spokesperson for the Magen David Adom rescue service, said that seven people were lightly injured in central Israel. Images on Channel 12 showed what appeared to be a building hit by a missile. Share Updated at 20.19 BST

38m ago 20.00 BST An Israeli military spokesperson has denied Iranian media reports that an Israeli fighter jet was downed and that its pilot was detained, Reuters reports. Israel’s denial comes as Iran launched a fresh wave of retaliatory missile attacks over Israel on Saturday evening after Israel launched airstrikes across Iran which killed commanders and scientists. Share

48m ago 19.49 BST Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they carried out attacks against dozens of Israeli targets Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that they carried out attacks against dozens of targets in Israel on Friday night. Speaking to Reuters, one Iranian senior official said: “Our revenge has just started, they will pay a high price for killing our commanders, scientists and people.” The official added that “nowhere in Israel will be safe” and that “our revenge will be painful.” Iranian state TV is also reporting that at least one Israeli fighter jet was downed by air defense and that its pilot has been detained, Reuters reports. Share Updated at 19.53 BST

1h ago 19.41 BST Israeli ambulance service is reporting seven lightly wounded people in Ramat Gan next to Tel Aviv, the Guardian’s chief Middle East correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison reports. Emergency teams are searching seven places where there were reports of impact in the Tel Aviv area. Additionally, it is important to note that for the latest round of missiles, it is not the Iron Dome intercepting them as that system only catches attacks that are launched from 40km away. Instead, the latest missiles are being caught by Israel’s Arrow missile defense shield. Share Updated at 19.47 BST

1h ago 19.30 BST Here are some images coming through Tel Aviv where missiles flown from Iran have been reported across the city: View image in fullscreen Smoke rises after a missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday. Photograph: Léo Corrêa/AP View image in fullscreen Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday. Photograph: Léo Corrêa/AP Share Updated at 19.37 BST

1h ago 19.23 BST The Guardian’s chief Middle East correspondent, Emma Graham-Harrison, is reporting from Tel Aviv where there is a lot of air interceptions heard overhead. Haaretz is also reporting over a hundred missiles being flown from Iran, as well as sirens being activated across Israel. View image in fullscreen Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday. Photograph: Léo Corrêa/AP Share Updated at 19.33 BST

1h ago 19.10 BST Israel military operating to intercept new ‘threat’ from Iran Israel’s military has identified missiles being launched from Iran and towards the territory of Israel, Reuters reports. The Israeli military said that its defense systems are operating to intercept “the threat”, adding that the public has been instructed to “enter a protected space and remain there until further notice”. Share Updated at 19.10 BST

Conflict intensifying by the hour

Sebastian Usher

Middle East regional editor

This has been a much more intense wave of missiles from Iran against Israel than earlier in the day when around 100 drones were intercepted.

The Israeli army has warned that Iran could cause real harm to Israel. This is the first sign that that may be a possibility.

The Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Israeli attack on Iran could go on for days.

The conflict between the two countries is intensifying by the hour. It’s clear that Israel had been planning this attack on Iran for some time and its aim is to pursue its strikes until Iran’s ability to have a nuclear weapon has been completely neutralised.

But Tehran has shown that it still has the capability to strike back.

Breaking News Iran retaliates with major missile barrage on Israel

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst was forced to take cover live on air as missiles fired from Iran slammed toward Tel Aviv.

Reporting amid the chaos, Yingst urgently directed his crew: “Okay, there’s just a massive amount of fire coming to Tel Aviv right now… All right, let’s go. Time to go.”

Yingst reported seeing interceptor rounds coming off the sea and lighting up the skyline: “This is likely Israel’s Arrow Defense System, or David’s Sling… a very fluid situation.”

Reporting from one of Israel’s most densely populated cities, Yingst and his crew ducked for safety as explosions rocked the area around them.

He noted, “I have reported here for nearly seven years and never seen such an attack against an Israeli city… The amount of air defense going off—it’s unprecedented.”

While interceptors were active in all directions, he confirmed: “Some of this is not being intercepted. We just saw one of the missiles.” Smoke was seen rising from central Tel Aviv. “There’s an impact site very close to here. Just stay with us.”

Regional sources told Fox’s Jennifer Griffin that Iran launched about 100 ballistic missiles: 5 to 7 reportedly breached Israel’s missile defense.

As explosions rocked the city, Yingst shouted, “Guys come on—everyone move, everyone move now… stay with us, stay with this, pick up the gear, let’s go.”

Yingst added that Israeli officials had warned of this attack in advance and cut short briefings as missiles launched. “Dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles are en route to Israel,” he reported, citing direct military sources.

He confirmed that some had slipped past defenses: “We could see ballistic missiles slamming into the ground.”“This is a direct attack on Tel Aviv, Israel’s second-largest city,” Yingst said.

“The Iranians are targeting major population centers in response to the operation that took out top IRGC officials.” He added, “What we’re looking at right now is the big conflict that everyone discussed for decades… Israel versus Iran.”

Yingst was unharmed.

Editor’s Note: Israel launched strikes against Iran early Friday, targeting the nuclear program and its long-range missile capabilities, an Israeli military official said. Follow live updates here.

CNN —

President Donald Trump told CNN in a brief phone call Friday morning that the United States “of course” supports Israel and called the country’s strikes on Iran overnight “a very successful attack,” while warning Iran to make a nuclear deal.

When asked about a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday that sought to put distance between the US and the Israeli action, Trump told Dana Bash: “We of course support Israel, obviously, and supported it like nobody has ever supported it.”

The president went on to urge Iran to reach a deal.

“Iran should have listened to me when I said — you know, I gave them, I don’t know if you know but I gave them a 60-day warning and today is day 61,” he told CNN.

“They should now come to the table to make a deal before it’s too late. It will be too late for them. You know, the people I was dealing with are dead, the hardliners,” the president said. He would not specify which people he was referring to.

In contrast to Trump’s aggressive tone, Rubio clarified in a statement late Thursday that the US had no involvement in the strikes.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said.

Trump is set to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, according a US and an Israeli official. He spoke to Netanyahu several times on Thursday, including prior to Israel launching the strikes, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The source would not divulge the substance of the calls but reiterated that Trump believes the attack was a result of Iran failing to strike an agreement on a new nuclear deal before his 60-day deadline expired.

White House officials continue to argue that the president is committed to salvaging the nuclear talks. The source said special envoy Steve Witkoff is “ready” to meet Iranian officials when they are – whether it be in Oman on Sunday as previously scheduled or at some date thereafter.

The president had warned Iran earlier on Friday to agree to a nuclear deal “before there is nothing left,” suggesting in a social media post that subsequent Israeli attacks on the country will be “even more brutal.”

The post marked Trump’s first public comments since Israel launched strikes on Iran targeting its nuclear program and military leaders, with the US president saying he had tried to steer Iranian leaders toward diplomacy, but they failed to act at great cost.

“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” Trump wrote.

Trump wrote that Iranian leaders “didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”

“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. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,” Trump added.

A sixth round of nuclear deal talks was still scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday as previously scheduled, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff was in touch with the Omanis overnight in an effort to keep the plans for this weekend on track, sources said. But those sources acknowledged that holding the talks this weekend is highly unlikely. Oman has facilitated the US-Iran talks to date.

Despite several rounds of talks between Iran and the US to thrash out a new nuclear deal, major sticking points remain, with Iran insisting on its right to nuclear enrichment. Trump said earlier this week that he’s grown less confident of being able to strike a deal, saying in an interview earlier this week that Tehran could be “delaying” an agreement.

Trump warned of possibility of ‘massive conflict’ in Middle East

Trump had warned earlier on Thursday of the possibility that “massive conflict” in the Middle East that could take place “soon.”

US officials were increasingly concerned that the risk of Israel striking Iran had risen after Tehran said on Thursday that it would ramp up its nuclear activities due to the International Atomic Energy Agency passing a resolution saying that the country was not in compliance with its non-proliferation commitments, senior US officials told CNN.

Questioned about a potential strike earlier on Thursday, Trump said it “could very well happen.”

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

US embassies in the Middle East carried out emergency action assessments this week, and that process is ongoing as the US monitors the threat environment in the region, the officials said.

This still from video from 2020 shows the US Embassy in Iraq. Reuters

Asked what the Israelis told him to prompt the departure of US personnel from the region, Trump replied: “They didn’t tell me anything, but I said look, there’s a chance of massive conflict.”

He described the deliberations that led him to the decision.

“We have a lot of American people in this area, and I said, look, we gotta tell them to get out cause something could happen – soon. And I don’t want to be the one that didn’t give any warning and missiles are flying into their buildings. It’s possible. So I had to do it. You know, I had the choice – do I do it or not? Doing it has its downside but it also has its upside, like you’re going to save a lot of lives if it should happen. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.”

Later Thursday, Trump in a Truth Social post underscored his preference for diplomacy in Iran, saying his administration remains “committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!”

Trump also said he does not want Israel to target Iran as negotiations on a potential nuclear deal continue, with a sixth round of talks set for Sunday in Oman.

“I want to have an agreement with Iran. We’re fairly close to an agreement. … As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want them going in because that would blow it. Might help it, actually, but also could blow it,” he said when asked about a potential Israeli strike.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.