Explosions were reported over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Friday evening as Iran launched a broad retaliatory strike against Israel, marking a significant escalation in an already volatile regional conflict.

Iran warned Israel that it would pay a “heavy price” for a series of strikes targeting military leaders, civilian officials, and nuclear sites across the country. Iran's state-run news agency IRNA claimed that the country's air defense systems had shot down at least two Israeli fighter jets, though the report could not be independently verified. The fate of the pilots remains unknown.