Israel launched an attack on Iran on Friday in retaliation for Tehran’s ballistic fire of 200 missiles on the Jewish state earlier this month, the Israeli military confirmed.

Israeli forces have launched “precise strikes” on military targets in Iran “in response to the Iranian regime’s months of sustained attacks against the State of Israel,” an IDF spokesman said in a statement.

Several explosions have reportedly been reported near the Iranian capital Tehran.

“It was so loud and the sky turned red,” said an Iranian resident in Tehran who did not want to be named.

“Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and duty to respond. We will do everything necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel,” the IDF spokesman added.

Israeli forces had promised a “serious and significant” response to Iran’s attack, with Friday night’s attack a rare and open direct attack on the Islamic Republic.

US officials who supported Israel’s right to respond to Iran’s attack said America had advised the Jewish state on how to prepare a “proportionate” response.

Israel has been at war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, and is also repelling attacks from terrorist allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Iran.

With post wires

This is a developing story.