Israeli air defenses repelled an Iranian airborne assault launched in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes aimed at preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The IDF says Iran has launched about 100 drones towards its territory and says it killed Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami in overnight strikes.

Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s vows of reprisals have brought the two Middle East adversaries closer to an all-out war, which also threatens to draw in the United States, at least to some degree.

Israel launched a series of strikes against Iran that included dozens of military targets, including the country's nuclear program, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel launched strikes across Iran on Friday, saying they targeted the "heart" of Iran's nuclear programme. The strikes killed Hossein Salami, chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards - a powerful branch of the country's armed forces - other senior military figures and nuclear scientists, Iranian state media reported.

How will the U.S. respond as Iran retaliates against Israel for attacking its nuclear program and military leaders?

Iran's foreign minister calls Israel's attacks on its nuclear programme a "declaration of war" as the IDF says it intercepted retaliatory drones launched by Tehran.

Early Friday morning, local time, Israel launched dozens of strikes against Iran and declared a state of emergency, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.