Iran has launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel, Iranian state media reported Sunday, as Tehran moves to retaliate against a recent deadly attack on the Iranian embassy complex in Syria.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps announced it launched the attack on Israel.
An official of the US Department of Defense said its forces have been actively shooting down Iranian drones flying toward Israel.
The security situation in the Middle East has sharply deteriorated in the wake of a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel on Oct 7 last year, triggering an ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that local health officials say has left more than 33,000 people dead.
The latest escalation comes after Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel for bombing an Iranian embassy complex in Damascus on April 1. The attack killed seven Iranian officers, including a top commander of the Revolutionary Guards.
The US government confirmed Iran launched an airborne attack against Israel, adding it is likely to unfold over several hours.
"Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," US President Joe Biden said on his official X, formerly Twitter, account.
Biden has been regularly updated on the situation by his national security team which is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies, the White House said in a statement.