US military helping intercept missiles fired by Iran at Israel: Official

The US military is helping intercept missiles that Iran fired in retaliation at Israel, a US official says.

The US has been moving assets nearer to Israel to assist in missile intercepts and to provide better protection of US bases in the region.

While the official did not say how the US provided assistance, both US Air Force fighter aircraft and destroyer-based missile defences have intercepted missiles in previous attacks.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to attack key facilities and kill top generals and scientists -- a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon.

 

Iran retaliated by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel late on Friday, with explosions flaring in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shaking buildings below.

"Don't think that they hit and it's over. No. They started the work and started the war," Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message. "We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed."

An Associated Press reporter saw smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike. Israeli paramedics reported a handful of injuries in the Tel Aviv area.

Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised fears of all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.