Iran strikes back at Israel, U.S. helps intercept missiles

• The U.S. is helping to intercept incoming ballistic missiles, according to an Israeli official and a senior U.S. official.
• During an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Friday, the U.S. representative said Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.
• "Let me be crystal clear: no government, proxy, or independent actor should target American citizens, American bases, or other American infrastructure in the region. The consequences for Iran would be dire."

Driving the news: Minutes before 9pm local time, sirens went off across Israel warning of the incoming attack.

• Israeli missile defense systems launched dozens of Arrow missiles to try and intercept the incoming attack.
• Multiple Iranian missiles hit central Tel Aviv according to eye witnesses and videos shared online.
• Israeli emergency services said 21 people had been confirmed wounded.

What they're saying: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech on Iranian state television shortly before the attack that Iran's armed forced would leave Israel "helpless," and stressed that the response would not be "a half-measure".

• "The Iranian nation won't permit the blood of its valued martyrs to go unavenged, nor will it ignore the violation of its airspace," he said.
• The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement that it attacked dozens of military targets including air force bases.
• The attack is nicknamed "Operation True Promise 3." Two previous attacks in April 2024 and October 2024 had similar names.

The other side: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran had "crossed red lines when it dared to fire missiles at civilian population centers in Israel."

• "We will continue to protect the citizens of Israel and ensure that the ayatollah regime pays a very heavy price for its criminal actions," he said.
• The U.S. official who confirmed U.S. air defense systems had engaged said the U.S. was working to protect U.S. citizens and assets in Israel.

State of play: Iranian State media reported that at least 78 people had been killed and more than 300 wounded in Israel's attack overnight, with most of the casualties being civilians.

• Israel targeted Iranian launch sites and command-and-control centers to blunt the expected counterattack.
• Israel has said its strikes on Iran will continue for at least several days, and possibly weeks.

Go deeper: Trump to Axios — Israel's attack could help me make a deal

Editor's note: This story previously said Iran had launched more than 150 missiles based on a statement from the Israel Defense Forces, but that estimate has since been revised down. This story has been updated throughout