Residents of Israel have been instructed to seek safety in bomb shelters as Iran unleashes a barrage of ballistic missiles, targeting nine locations and injuring numerous individuals in retaliation for assaults on its nuclear facilities.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei vowed to ‘inflict heavy blows’ as he blames Israel for starting a war.

Dramatic footage shows Israel’s Iron Dome intercepting hundreds of missiles above Tel Aviv, with nine sites reportedly being hit across the city.

Footage from a local TV channel has shown a huge hole blasted into a building with people reportedly trapped inside as fires rage on.

Eli Bin, the spokesman for the Magen David Adom rescue service, added that seven people have been lightly injured in the attacks.

Israel has pledged that “Iran will face an unbearably severe consequence for its strikes on civilian regions,” with The Times of Israel hinting that this may involve further strikes on Iran’s energy and infrastructure facilities.

Earlier today, Tehran promised “painful retaliation” in response to Israel’s unprecedented offensive carried out overnight, which has brought the area precariously close to full-scale conflict.

An Israeli military spokesman has said their ‘defence systems are working to intercept the threat’ that has arrived in their airspace after being launched this afternoon. 

Ctizens were being urged to go to their nearest bomb shelter as hundred of ballistic missiles rain down on the city but the warning has just come to an end.

Several blasts were also heard over Jerusalem and air raid sirens were sounding in the city as well as Tel Aviv. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump have spoken this evening about ‘the importance of diplomacy and dialogue’ to resolving the conflict, Downing Street confirmed. 

Israel’s offensive last night was the culmination of years of research and planning by Israel’s military and Mossad intelligence agency to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

Israel used fighter jets and a secret drone base near Tehran to batter nuclear facilities, missile launch sites and decapitate military command – in a move that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dubbed Operation Rising Lion.

The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote on X this evening that ‘the Zionist regime [Israel] will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime’.

He added: ‘The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, a grave error, and committed a reckless act. By God’s grace, the consequences of this will bring that regime to ruin.

‘The Iranian nation won’t permit the blood of its valued martyrs to go unavenged, nor will it ignore the violation of its airspace.

‘Our Armed Forces are ready, and the country’s officials and all the people are behind the Armed Forces.

‘Today, we must give a strong response to the evil, despicable, terrorist Zionist identity. God willing, we will respond with strength, and will show no mercy to them.

‘Life will definitely become bitter for the Zionists.

‘The Zionist regime will not escape safely from the heinous crime they’ve committed.

‘This is a certainty that the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces will deal heavy blows to this evil Zionist enemy.

‘The Iranian people are with us. They support the Armed Forces, and the Islamic Republic will triumph over the Zionist regime, by the will of God.’

Israel’s attack last night saw top Iranian commanders killed, including Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. 

Iran’s State TV claimed a female Israeli Air Force pilot was captured after her fighter jet was downed during the operation, but the IDF has denied this. 

However, Iran have also claimed that their air defence forces ‘successfully hit and destroyed two F-35 fighter jets’ as well as a ‘large number of small drones’.

The fate of the pilots ‘remains unknown and is being investigated’, they added.

Israeli firefighters said in a statement tonight that they were working to help civilians affected by the explosion, including some trapped in buildings that were hit.

They said: ‘Firefighting crews are handling several major incidents, mainly in the Dan region.

‘Firefighters are working in a high-rise building to rescue trapped individuals and extinguish a fire, as well as responding to two additional destruction sites.’

This is a breaking story – more to follow.