Dubai, UAE. Israel launched a blistering series of airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear and military sites Friday, using warplanes and drones reportedly smuggled into the country to target top scientists and generals. The offensive, Israel said, was aimed at stopping Iran from advancing any closer to building a nuclear weapon.

In retaliation, Iran fired dozens of ballistic missiles into Israel late Friday, lighting up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Explosions shook buildings and sent civilians rushing to shelters.

A second round of attacks followed early Saturday, with sirens and interceptors booming over Jerusalem. Hours later, a missile struck near homes in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, wounding 13 people, according to Israel’s paramedic service, Magen David Adom. One person was critically injured, and another was in serious condition. Several people remained trapped under rubble, the service said.

Iranian state-linked outlet Nour News reported that additional missile waves were being launched. Associated Press journalists in Tel Aviv saw at least two Iranian missiles strike the ground, though there was no immediate confirmation of further casualties.

In Tel Aviv, seven people were treated at a local hospital following the second barrage; six had minor injuries. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services reported injuries from a projectile that hit a building in the city.

Meanwhile, explosions and Iranian air defense fire were heard across central Tehran shortly after midnight. Air raid sirens also sounded near the capital. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported a fire at Mehrabad International Airport, sharing video footage on X showing smoke and flames rising from the facility.

In a recorded message, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed retaliation: “We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.” Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations claimed 78 people were killed and more than 320 injured in the Israeli strikes.

Israel’s emergency services reported that 34 people were injured in the missile attacks on the Tel Aviv area, including a woman critically wounded after being trapped under debris. In Ramat Gan, an AP journalist witnessed burned-out cars and heavy damage to homes, one of which had its facade nearly destroyed.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said American ground-based air defense systems in the region were helping to intercept Iranian missiles.

The exchange of fire, among the most intense direct hostilities between the two nations, stoked fears of full-scale war and deepened instability across a region already rattled by conflict.

Israel has long threatened such a strike, while successive US administrations have sought to prevent it, concerned it could trigger a broader regional war and fail to dismantle Iran’s widely dispersed and fortified nuclear program.

The current escalation was sparked by a chain of developments following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the reelection of former US President Donald Trump. These events, analysts say, created the political conditions for Israel to act. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the US was informed in advance of the assault.

Just a day before the Israeli strikes, the UN's nuclear watchdog formally censured Iran for failing to meet its obligations to prevent nuclear weapons development.

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