Air raid sirens pierced the night sky across multiple regions of Israel on Sunday as the Israel Defense Forces scrambled defensive systems to intercept a barrage of incoming Iranian ballistic missiles.
The escalation began around 3:05 p.m. EDT, when the IDF first detected missile launches originating from Iranian territory. “The IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military confirmed in a statement posted to X.
According to tracking updates from the Israel War Room, the initial launch was followed by at least two subsequent waves of missiles. As the situation developed, the account warned citizens of expanding danger zones: “Third wave of missiles has been detected. The public is advised to continue to follow the instructions of Home Front Command and stay near shelters. Red alert sirens are currently sounding in multiple areas of northern and central Israel.”
Initial reports from Fox News indicated that Iranian missiles were also directed toward Kuwait and Bahrain. However, Israel War Room later reported that Israeli defense systems successfully intercepted all incoming targets.
The missile strikes follow a series of military actions earlier on Sunday, when Israel announced a preemptive strike on a Hezbollah command center in Lebanon. Israel stated that the strike was a direct response to recent rocket fire aimed at communities in northern Israel. Iran had previously threatened retaliation for actions against Hezbollah, which operates as an Iranian proxy.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated since March 2, when Israel launched its latest military campaign against the group. That campaign followed a surge of rocket and suicide drone attacks launched by Hezbollah in the wake of the U.S. military’s launch of Operation Epic Fury, according to IDF records.
The weekend strikes directly threaten a fragile diplomatic framework established just two months ago. On April 7, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, which was secured mere hours before a strict deadline for the Iranian regime to agree to terms was set to expire.
Speaking to Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday night, Trump expressed frustration over how the attack impacts diplomatic progress. “It’s certainly not going to help negotiations,” Trump said, noting that the strikes would severely complicate ongoing talks. “We’re very close. I would say an agreement would be signed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. And now this takes place.”
Trump also issued a direct warning to leadership in Tehran regarding the future of the ceasefire. “You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough,” Trump said. “Get back to the table and make a deal.”
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