Israel's military described the attack as "precise strikes on military targets in Iran," without immediately elaborating

"The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7, on seven fronts, including direct attacks from Iranian soil," an Israeli military statement said. "Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond"

In Tehran, the Iranian capital, the sound of explosions could be heard, with state-run media there initially acknowledging the blasts and saying some of the sounds came from air defense systems around the city

A Tehran resident told The Associated Press that at least seven explosions could be heard, which rattled the surrounding area. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals

Meanwhile, state media in Syria described its air defenses as targeting "hostile targets" there as well

Iran has launched two ballistic missile attacks on Israel in recent months amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel also has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon

The strike happened just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was arriving back in the US after a tour of the Middle East where he and other US officials had warned Israel to tender a response that would not further escalate the conflict in the region and exclude nuclear sites in Iran

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement that "we understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran" and referred reporters to the Israeli government for more details on their operation

Israel had vowed to hit Iran hard following a massive Iranian missile barrage on October 1. Iran said its barrage was in response to deadly Israeli attacks against its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, and it has promised to respond to any retaliatory strikes