Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, just hours after a US official issued a warning that Tehran was getting ready to "imminently launch a ballistic missile attack." The attack, according to Iran, was retaliation for the Israeli airstrike that killed Iranian Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week, as well as the July bombing in Tehran that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told CNN, “At this moment, we understand it was approximately 180 projectiles. But this is not final, and (is) an initial estimate.” According to several reports, Iran launched between 150 and 200 missiles during the attack. This was Iran's second attack on Israel, having launched a drone and missile assault at Israel in April in retaliation for a fatal Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. 

However, The Tehran Times claims that Iran fired "400 ballistic missiles" at Israel. Iranian cities such as Isfahan, Tabriz, Khoramabad, Karaj, and Arak fired the missiles. Several world leaders have urged Iran and Israel to call for a ceasefire following Iran's missile launch towards Israel. The Iranian missile attack on Israel, according to US President Joe Biden, looks to have been neutralised and rendered ineffective.

Biden said, “At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defence of Israel. We are still assessing the impact but, based on what we know, the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective and this is a testament to Israeli military capability… (It is) also a testament to intensive planning (between) the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against a brazen attack.”

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris pledged her "unwavering" dedication to Israel's security on Tuesday. 

Iranian missile attacks against Israel were deemed "unacceptable" by Japan's newly appointed prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, on Wednesday as he stated, “Iran’s attack is unacceptable. We will condemn this strongly. But at the same time, we would like to cooperate (with the United States) to defuse the situation and prevent it from escalating into a full-on war.”

Although there were a few "hits" in the country's centre and other southern regions, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari acknowledged that the military had intercepted a significant number of Iranian missiles. “We have carried out a large number of interceptions. There were a few hits in the centre and other areas in the south of the country,” Hagari said.

US President Joe Biden gave the US military orders to intercept Iranian missiles aimed at Israel on Tuesday in order to "aid Israel's defence." The Democratic nominee for US president next month, Senator Kamala Harris, and Vice President Joe Biden are both keeping an eye on Iran's attack on Israel, according to a statement released by the White House. 

Biden also stated that the US is "prepared to help" Israel on the social media platform X. “This morning, @VP and I convened our national security team to discuss Iranian plans to launch an imminent missile attack against Israel. We discussed how the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region,” Biden wrote on X.

In a social media post on X, the US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs also announced that all US government employees and their families in "Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza" should remain indoors until further notice because of the current security situation.

“The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem reminds U.S. citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) intrusions, often take place without warning,” said the statement.

The Indian Embassy in Israel also released an advisory on Tuesday night in response to the US warning, advising all Indian nationals residing in the nation to exercise caution and stay close to safe havens in light of reports that Iran is getting ready for a "imminent" missile attack against Israel.

Additionally, Israel announced on Tuesday that it had begun a ground offensive against Hezbollah, just days after its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut. Israel said that its troops were involved in “intense fighting” in southern Lebanon. “Intense fighting is taking place in southern Lebanon,” Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram. “For your personal safety, we ask you not to travel by vehicles from the north to the south of the Litani River.” Though its fighters are ready for a "direct confrontation" should Israeli troops cross the border, Hezbollah has refuted reports that its troops have entered Lebanon.

Russia warned that the attack would cause the Middle East's violence to worsen and urged Israel to remove its troops from Lebanon on Tuesday. “Russia strongly condemns the attack on Lebanon and calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw their troops from Lebanese territory and engage in a real search for peaceful ways to resolve the Middle East conflict,” said the Russian foreign ministry. “It is obvious that such a step taken by the Israeli military and political leadership following the assassination of a number of Hezbollah leaders will lead to a further escalation of violence in the Middle East region.”

Reports of Israeli forces entering Lebanon were referred to as "false claims" by Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afifi in the group's first statement following Israel's announcement of its ground operation. “All the Zionist claims that (Israeli) occupation forces have entered Lebanon are false claims,” Afifi said, adding that there has not yet been any direct ground clash between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces. The fighters from Hezbollah are prepared "to have direct confrontation with enemy forces that dare to or try to enter Lebanon to inflict casualties among them," the Afifi concluded.

Israel's military launched "limited, localised, and targeted raids" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's border areas late on Monday. Artillery fire and fighter jets support its ground forces. Within hours of the United States (US) claiming that Israeli forces were conducting limited operations in Lebanon, the military formally declared the commencement of the ground offensive. The 98th division of the military, which includes paratroopers and commando units, was confirmed to be taking part in the incursion, though the exact number of soldiers involved was not disclosed. 

Previously, this division was stationed in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces are still fighting Hamas-led Palestinian militants. In another sign of a possible ground invasion, the military declared three locations near the northern border with Lebanon to be a "closed military zone."