The Iron Dome is designed to protect Israeli citizens by launching guided missiles to intercept incoming rockets and other short-range threats in mid-air.

Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv has been closed to traffic since Israel attacked Iran’s military and nuclear facilities on Friday morning and Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes at Israel. Other countries in the region, including Lebanon and Jordan, said they were reopening their airspace Saturday.

Iranian state media report more explosions, with blasts heard in Tehran, as Israel says its air force is hitting military targets.

Israel’s attack on Iran was long in the making – the result of years of meticulous planning by Israel and days of high-stakes talks between Tel Aviv and Washington, officials told CNN.

Israel’s leader and President Trump appeared to bet they can persevere, but other world leaders warned of unintended outcomes in a volatile region.

Israel said its overnight attack targeted the "heart" of Iran's nuclear programme. Those strikes killed Hossein Salami, the chief of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards military branch, plus several senior military figures and nuclear scientists. Civilians, including children, were among those killed, Iran said.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has accused the Israeli government of trying to draw the United States into a war with Iran, saying they "want us to go on offense" against Tehran.

Israel is coming under a heavy bombardment Friday from Iran after the massive attacks overnight on Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. Dozens of ballistic missiles have been fired on Tel

The bodies of two deceased hostages were recovered from southern Gaza in a military operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency announced Wednesday evening.

Israel’s military operation against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure entered a second day with the Israeli Air Force (IAF) widening its strike to hit targets in the vicinity of Tehran, while Iran continued to launch waves of drones and ballistic missiles.