TRANSCRIPT
In Jerusalem and across northern Israel, the sound of air raid sirens have rung out as flashes were seen in the sky over Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.
Iran has launched its first ever direct military assault on Israel, beginning late on Saturday.
Decades of tension between the two countries has finally spilled over into the direct aerial attack, with Israel saying Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones towards Israel.
Hours later, Iran announced it had launched further and more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
Both sides have claimed a strategic success.
In Iran, local media is reporting that approximately 50 per cent of the strikes hit their targets, which were all military.
But Israeli Defence Force spokesman Daniel Hagari says Israel intercepted 99 per cent of the airstrikes.
“Last night Iran launched an attack against Israel and launched more than 300 threats of various kinds. The Iranian threat met the air and technological superiority of the IDF combined with a strong fighting coalition that together intercepted the vast majority of the threats. We intercepted 99 per cent of the threats launched to the territory of Israel. It’s a very significant strategic success. In addition to the launches from Iran, a number of launches took place from the territory of Iraq and Yemen, not one of them penetrated the territory of the state of Israel.”
The United States also says it downed some of the drones flying towards Israel.
Iran's unprecedented attack is a retaliation for the deaths of two Iranian generals and a number of other officials in Syria, killed in an airstrike last week.
Israel has not claimed responsibility, but Iran has accused it of being behind the attack on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the strike tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil and said Israel "must be punished, and it shall be".
Condemnation of Iran's strikes has been swift.
In a statement on X, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called the attack "unjustifiable" and said all actors must refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region.
At home, treasurer Jim Chalmers has told ABC's Insiders the development was incredibly concerning.
"We condemn the actions of the Iranians, as I said, Iran can have a positive role to play in the region or a negative role in the region. This will inflame tensions further. Our big concern here is that we don't want conflict in the Middle East to be broader and deeper than it already is. We've already seen enough lives lost. And so that's why these developments yesterday and overnight are incredibly concerning to all of us."
The government has urged Australian citizens in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories not to travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ramallah regions.
Meanwhile, Iran's mission to the United Nations has said the weekend attack on Israel "can be deemed concluded".
But it warned Israel of a larger attack on its territory if it retaliates, adding that Washington has been warned U-S bases will be targeted if it backs Israeli military action.
US president Joe Biden has cut short a holiday to return to the White House and monitor the situation.
The Israeli government continues to be on alert.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
“This campaign is not over yet. We need to remain prepared and attentive to the IDF’S and Home Front Command’s instructions and to prepare for any scenario. At the same time, we blocked the first wave (of attacks), and we did it with great success.”
The UN Security Council is holding an in response to the attack.
Meanwhile, Italy has convened a video call of G-7 leaders on the issue.
The eyes of the world are on this volatile situation, many of its leaders hoping to stop it escalating into a full-blown regional conflict.
