JERUSALEM: Iran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel Saturday, the Israeli army announced, in a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional foes.
Blasts were heard in the skies above Jerusalem early Sunday, Agence France-Presse journalists said.
Iran had repeatedly threatened to strike Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annex and Washington had warned repeatedly in recent days that the reprisals were imminent.
"Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel," military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
"We are working in close cooperation with the United States and our partners in the region in order to act against the launches and intercept them," Rear Admiral Hagari said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed a retaliatory drone and missile attack was under way against Israel in retaliation for the Damascus strike which killed seven Guards, two of them generals.
The Guards said its ballistic missiles were fired almost an hour after the slower moving drones.
An Israeli army official said Iran had launched more than 100 attack drones at Israel and said he expected more to follow.
"We expect the drones to be here in the following hours and we might see some more waves of drones as time progresses," the official said.
Iran's allies in the region joined the attack with Yemen's Huthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey, and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement announcing rocket fire at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.
'Unfolding' attack
The White House said it expected the attack - which comes against the backdrop of the six-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza - to "unfold over a number of hours."
It said Washington would "stand with the people of Israel."
The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Iran's conflict with Israel.
"It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" it said.
President Joe Biden cut short a weekend trip to his home state of Delaware for urgent consultations, the White House said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz postponed a planned visit to Hungary and Austria while the prime minister convened his war cabinet in Tel Aviv.
An adviser to Iran's supreme leader said that Israel was in "complete panic" over Tehran's looming response.
US President Joe Biden arrives back at the White House after cutting short a weekend trip to his home state of Delaware. AP PHOTO Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes his war cabinet in Tel Aviv. PHOTO BY ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER OFFICE/AFP