Israel calls up 70,000 reservists after Iran missile response escalates

[ad_1] NEW Now you can hearken to Fox Information articles!

Israelis awoke Saturday to the information that Operation "Roaring Lion" had begun, with joint American-Israeli strikes concentrating on navy websites inside Iran. Inside hours, satellite tv for pc pictures circulated in Israeli media showing to point out harm to a compound related to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , reportedly struck within the opening wave.

Air raid alerts have been activated throughout components of the nation as Iran launched missile barrages in response. In response to an Israeli navy official talking on background the incoming fireplace amounted to "extra within the dozens" per spherical, although no vital impacts had been reported on the time of the briefing. House Entrance Command urged civilians to comply with up to date security directions and keep away from sharing real-time areas of missile strikes.

In a speech on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump condemned Tehran’s position in regional instability, saying, "From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq. The regime has armed, educated, and funded terrorist militias which have soaked the earth with blood and guts. And it was Iran's proxy, Hamas, that launched the monstrous Oct. 7 assaults on Israel, slaughtering greater than 1,000 harmless individuals, together with 46 Individuals, whereas taking 12 of our residents hostage. It was brutal, one thing just like the world has by no means seen earlier than."

He added, "Iran is the world's number-one state sponsor of terror… It has at all times been the coverage of america, particularly my administration, that this terrorist regime can by no means have a nuclear weapon. I will say it once more. They will by no means have a nuclear weapon."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, warning that "within the coming days we will likely be required to point out resilience." His remarks mirrored a broader message from Israeli management framing the operation as mandatory and doubtlessly extended.

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/672/378/smoke-rises-on-the-skyline-after-an-explosion-in-tehran.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1344/756/smoke-rises-on-the-skyline-after-an-explosion-in-tehran.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/931/523/smoke-rises-on-the-skyline-after-an-explosion-in-tehran.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1862/1046/smoke-rises-on-the-skyline-after-an-explosion-in-tehran.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photograph/Vahid Salemi)

Israeli officers mentioned the aim of the marketing campaign is "to completely degrade the Iranian regime’s capabilities and take away existential threats to the State of Israel." The navy cited renewed Iranian efforts to advance ballistic missile manufacturing and conceal components of its nuclear program as justification for the timing of the strike.

Israeli assessments, in accordance with native studies, point out that Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Khamenei and a key determine linked to Iran’s nuclear program , was probably killed within the operation. The navy has not formally confirmed particular people focused, saying assessments are ongoing.

US JOINS ISRAEL IN PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ON IRAN AS TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS’

Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv transfers sufferers to underground fortified services after the launch of the marketing campaign towards Iran. (Gideon Markowicz/TPS-IL)

The Israeli Nationwide Safety Council issued a warning to Israelis overseas, urging them to take heightened precautions in all locations and stay alert to potential threats towards Israeli and Jewish targets abroad.

Inside Israel, the response mixed rigidity with self-discipline. Colleges in some areas shifted to distant studying, reservists acquired draft orders, and households checked that protected rooms have been stocked. The navy mentioned roughly 70,000 reservists have been being referred to as up, largely for aerial protection, House Entrance Command duties and border reinforcement.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

An interception is seen within the sky over Haifa in the course of the newest barrage. (Anthony Hershko/TPS-IL)

Officers mentioned forces are deployed throughout all borders in preparation for attainable escalation involving Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and others. Whereas leaders pressured that the targets are navy and never civilian, they acknowledged that the approaching days might take a look at the nation’s endurance.

For now, Israelis are watching carefully as developments unfold, bracing for additional retaliation whereas leaders sign that the campaign will continue "so long as mandatory."

Associated Article Efrat Lachter is a overseas correspondent for Fox Information Digital masking worldwide affairs and the United Nations. Comply with her on X @efratlachter. Tales might be despatched to efrat.lachter@fox.com .