Hours after Israel's ground incursion in Lebanon, Iran fired over 100 missiles at Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Air raid sirens were sounded in Israel and residents were ordered to seek shelter in safer places.
Earlier the United States had indicated an "imminent ballistic missile attack" by Iran on Israel. In a statement, the US had warned Iran of "serious consequences" if it launched a direct attack on Israel.
Reportedly, missiles flew over Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. According to witnesses, explosions were heard in Jerusalem.
If Israel responds militarily to this operation, it will face a harsher response, Iran said in a statement.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari had said that the country's defence system was fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats.
Videos of missiles flying in several sites across Israel surfaced on social media.
The Iran attack came a day after Israel began its ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel ordered people in at least 30 Lebanese villages to evacuate in the wake of the ground incursion.
Hagari had warned that the Iranian strike could be widespread and therefore urged the people to move close to bomb shelters.
In April, the US offered its assistance to Israel, when Iran launched a series of drones and missiles towards Tel Aviv. During the strike then, majority of the missiles were successfully intercepted.
Amid rising tensions, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was moved to a safe location with increased security measures following the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah after an Israeli-targeted strike on Beirut.
Middle East tensions have escalated with Israel tightening its grip on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Global pressure is mounting on Israel for a ceasefire to calm things down.
Hagari had said Israel would do "whatever necessary" to avoid a 7th October-like attack again on "any one of our borders".