Israel begins retaliatory strikes against Iran following missile barrage targeting Israelis

Israel on Friday launched a wave of retaliatory airstrikes against Iran after the Islamic Republic fired a barrage of missiles toward Israelis earlier this month. 

Explosions were heard near Iran's capital of Tehran and nearby Karaj, Reuters reported, citing local media. 

"In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. "The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian soil. Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel."

A U.S. official told Fox News that President Biden has been briefed on the strikes and is closely following the developments.

Two U.S. defense officials told Fox News Friday night that the U.S. was notified in advance of Israel's plan to strike Iran early Saturday morning local time in retaliation to Iran's Oct. 1attack.

Two defense officials also told Fox News that the U.S. had no involvement in Israel's operation.

ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR: RESPONSE TO IRAN WILL BE ‘VERY PAINFUL’

National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett further confirmed in a statement that Israel had launched the retaliatory strikes.

"We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st," he said. "We would refer you to the Israeli government for more information on their operation."

ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR: RESPONSE TO IRAN WILL BE ‘VERY PAINFUL’

National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett further confirmed in a statement that Israel had launched the retaliatory strikes.

"We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st," he said. "We would refer you to the Israeli government for more information on their operation."

The Israeli military action comes after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed a "precise and deadly" response to the more than 180 missiles Iran targeted Israel with on Oct. 1, some of which were intercepted with the help of the U.S. 

Last week, during the leadup to the Israeli attack, reports emerged that the Israeli Defense Forces presented a list of potential targets to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant as officials conducted "sensitive coordination" with other countries in the Middle East. 

"The regime is vulnerable, and it's up to us to decide which message we want to send to them," Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon also told Fox News Digital. "It will be very painful for the Iranian regime, and they will think twice in the future whether to attack Israel or not." 

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the barrage of missiles it fired at Israel on Oct. 1 was in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, in an Israeli airstrike and the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. Israel later eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in a military operation in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 16.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously called Nasrallah "the flag-bearer of resistance" in the region. 

"The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged," Khamenei said following Nasrallah’s death, according to Reuters. 

ISRAEL DECIDES ON POSSIBLE IRAN TARGETS: ‘PRECISE AND DEADLY'

During the Oct. 1 attack by Iran, no casualties were reported in Israel, though one Palestinian was killed in the West Bank. 

The U.S. Navy later released video showing the USS Cole and USS Bulkeley firing about a dozen ballistic missile interceptors to help thwart Iranian aggression. 

Iran also attacked Israel in April of this year, during which it levied some 300 missiles and drones. Jerusalem then responded to Western calls for restraint by hitting Iran’s air defenses and destroying part of an S-300 long-range air defense system. 

To bolster Israel's defenses against potential future attacks from Iran, a U.S. missile defense system is being sent to the Middle East.

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Stephen Sorace and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.