Israel launched strikes across Iran on Monday after coming under missile attack, marking the most serious escalation between the two adversaries since an April cease-fire and fueling concerns that months of fragile calm could unravel into a broader regional conflict.
Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz, according to Iranian state television. The broadcasts provided few immediate details, but the strikes came hours after Iran fired missiles toward Israel in its first direct bombardment since the cease-fire took effect in early April.
The exchange signaled a dramatic deterioration in tensions that had simmered for weeks despite diplomatic efforts led by the United States and regional mediators.
Iran had threatened retaliation after Israeli warplanes struck Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, an operation carried out despite recent U.S. calls for restraint. Israel said the Beirut strike followed rocket fire into northern Israel by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
As tensions spread beyond Israel and Iran, missile alert sirens sounded Monday morning in Saudi Arabia's Al Kharj governorate, home to Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. military forces.
Saudi state media confirmed the alert but offered no immediate explanation. The warning came shortly after Israel launched its attacks on Iran.
The latest escalation also appeared to challenge public efforts by President Donald Trump to discourage further military action.
Before the Israeli strikes, Trump said he believed additional retaliation was unnecessary and suggested he held decisive influence over Israel's wartime strategy.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would ultimately follow Washington's lead.
"He won't have any choice," Trump said. "I call the shots. I call all the shots."
The White House did not immediately comment on whether the Israeli operation had been coordinated with U.S. officials.
Inside Iran, semiofficial Fars and Mehr news agencies reported that Israeli strikes hit a petrochemical facility in the southwestern city of Mahshahr in Khuzestan province. Authorities did not immediately provide details on casualties or damage.
Iran also closed the airspace around Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, the country's primary international gateway, following the attacks.
Meanwhile, Israel remained on high alert as military officials warned of additional incoming threats. Air raid sirens sounded across central and southern parts of the country after the military detected missile launches from Iran.
Residents reported hearing loud explosions over central Israel, while alerts were issued in areas near Dimona and Arad in the country's south.
Dimona is home to Israel's main nuclear research center, a highly sensitive site that has been targeted during previous confrontations. During the last major exchange between the two countries, Iranian missile strikes near Dimona and Arad injured more than two dozen people.
Israel later issued an all-clear after warning of a second wave of incoming missiles. No interceptions were reported during the alert, and rescue officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties or direct impacts.
The security situation was further complicated by missile activity from Yemen. Israel's military said it detected a missile launch from Yemen targeting the country, triggering another round of nationwide warning sirens.
The missile was believed to have been launched by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have repeatedly targeted Israel during the war in Gaza but have played a more limited role in the direct confrontation between Israel and Iran.
In response to the growing threat environment, Israeli authorities tightened nationwide security measures. The military announced restrictions on large public gatherings and canceled classes across the country, the first nationwide school shutdown since the previous round of fighting with Iran in April.