SRINAGAR: Iran has launched ballistic missiles at Israel, causing sirens to sound all over the country, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday.
Orange fire illuminated the sky over Israel as NBC News crews in both Tel Aviv and across the border in Tyre, Lebanon, viewed the apparent missiles being fired. Smaller streaks of light were also viewed, appearing to come from Israel’s aerial defense system as the country tried to ward off the attack.
Booms were also heard in video captured by NBC News, but it’s unclear whether the sound erupted from clashing missiles in the air or from Iranian missiles landing in Israel.
U S officials warned earlier in the day that Iran was preparing a ballistic missile strike targeting Israel, a senior White House official and a Department of Defense official told NBC News Tuesday.
The assault follows Israel launching widespread attacks in Lebanon, including the killing of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah and a ground invasion of the south of the country.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” the White House official said. “We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Iran is expected to target military and government sites, not civilians, the officials said.
Officials say the expectation is that this would potentially involve more firepower than Iran’s attack on Israel in April, which launched hundreds of drones that took hours to reach Israel followed by some ballistic missiles later. The number of ballistic missiles could be higher this time, the officials said, and Iran could try to launch many missiles simultaneously to overwhelm air defenses.
It’s unclear whether missiles will launch from any of Iran’s proxy militias in the region. U.S. officials also don’t know if America’s allies in the region will help with the defense of Israel against the Iranian attack, or allow flights over their territory to help the U.S. shoot down projectiles.
A spokesperson for the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations has no comments on the reports from the White House of an impending attack on Israel.
U S officials have been anticipating a response from Iran following Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah leadership last week, which U.S. intelligence officials and analysts described as a devastating blow to Iran’s proxy power in the region.
President Joe Biden has been briefed and updated on Iran’s possible attack on Israel and the overall situation in the Middle East over the last several hours, according to a senior White House official.
White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said in a post on X that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with the national security team regarding the attack threat.
“They reviewed the status of U.S. preparations to help Israel defend against attacks and protect U S personnel,” Simons said.
Iran has signaled to the U S that it still does not want a wider war, the officials said.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly last week, United Nations General Assembly Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said Iran want to live in peace, adding that the Islamic regime is not seeking war with Israel.