Israel strikes Iran after missile fire, raising regional war fears

Israel announced Monday that it had struck military targets in central and western Iran in retaliation for missile fire originating from Iranian territory. The exchange of strikes has heightened fears of a wider regional war, as sirens wailed across Israel and the public was urged to seek shelter. Explosions were reported in central Israel as its air defense systems worked to intercept incoming Iranian projectiles.

Iran had not immediately acknowledged the attack. Monday marked the 100th day of a conflict that began on February 28 with the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials by Israel and the United States. A nominal ceasefire was reached on April 8, but hostilities have been sustained by Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iranian state television reported hearing explosions in Isfahan, Karaj, Tabriz, and Tehran, though details were scarce. A witness in Tehran described a large blast to the west of the capital. Iran subsequently closed the airspace around Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport. Earlier, sirens sounded across Israel following a reported missile launch from Yemen, though Israeli rescue services indicated no casualties or impacts. The Houthi militants in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, have previously fired missiles at Israel during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with the strikes, according to a senior US official. The White House has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the strikes or any US coordination.

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A short while ago, the Israeli Air Force struck military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran.