Sirens and booms heard throughout country; Israel, US and Jordan down Iranian projectiles en route to Jewish state; Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthis attack simultaneously

Iran on Saturday night launched a large wave of attack drones and missiles from its territory toward the Jewish state, in the first-ever direct attack on Israel by the Islamic Republic, triggering air raid sirens throughout the country early Sunday as the military worked to intercept the Iranian projectiles.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari first confirmed at 11 p.m. that the attack, anticipated for several days, had begun. He later said Iran also fired missiles at Israel, while “numerous” fighter jets were in the sky countering Tehran’s attacks.

Sirens began sounding in southern Israeli communities around 1:42 a.m., before extending to large swathes of the country. Loud booms sounded across north and south, as well as in Jerusalem and many towns in the northern West Bank.

Iran's state-run television is reporting that Iranian missiles have been fired toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

This is believed to be in retaliation for the killing of a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an attack earlier this month on the Iranian embassy in Syria. That attack is believed to have been carried out by Israel.

Earlier, Iran's state-run television also reported that the country's Revolutionary Guards had sent multiple drones toward Israel.

They say the launch was in retaliation for the April 1 killing of a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in that apparent Israeli attack on Iran's embassy in Syria.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, local time, or shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday, Japan time, that Iran had sent multiple drones from its territory toward Israel.

The Israeli military said it would take several hours for the drones to reach its territory.

Earlier on Saturday, Iran's state-run news agency reported that the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps had seized ships related to Israel near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has not issued an official statement on the seizure of the vessels.