In a significant escalation of hostilities, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, marking a stark response to the recent killings of Iranian-backed militant leaders. The attack sent Israelis rushing to shelters as air raid sirens blared across the country.

The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that missiles were launched from Iranian territory, stating, “A short while ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel.” After approximately an hour, the military announced the threat had subsided and it was safe for citizens to leave protected spaces, noting that a “large number” of the missiles had been intercepted.

Reports indicate that between 150 and 200 missiles were fired in the assault. This marks Iran’s second missile strike against Israel this year, following an April attack in retaliation for an Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Witnesses in Jerusalem reported hearing explosions, and rescuers confirmed that two individuals sustained minor injuries from shrapnel in central Israel. Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, announced that the missile attack targeted Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial center.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps claimed the attack was a direct response to the recent killings of key militant leaders, including Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a bombing in Tehran that many attribute to Israeli operatives.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalating conflict in the Middle East, urging for an immediate ceasefire, stating, “This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”

In response to the attacks, Israeli airspace was temporarily closed, diverting all flights, and neighboring countries, including Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan, also shut their airspace. Reports indicated that Jordan’s air defenses intercepted incoming missiles and drones as the situation unfolded.

U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered military support to aid Israel’s defense, directing forces to engage and shoot down Iranian missiles as necessary.

While Iran-backed groups have been increasingly involved in the ongoing Gaza conflict, which intensified following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, Tehran has historically avoided direct military engagement with its regional adversaries until now.