Axios

Iranian missile launches target northern Israel, Israeli military says

Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday in retaliation for the Israeli strike in Beirut earlier in the day, Israeli officials said. Why it matters: This would be a major regional escalation. It would be the first Iranian missile attack on Israel since the ceasefire was announced on April 8. Such a move could unravel U.S.–Iran negotiations and reignite the war, because Israel will likely respond to the Iranian attack. Driving the news: Israel Defense Forces said sirens went off in northern Israel as four missiles were launched from Iran, but that air defense systems were operating to intercept the threat. An IDF spokesperson said following the Israeli military strike in Beirut and after a situational assessment, the IDF was preparing for incoming fire toward Israel in the coming hours. "The IDF has reinforced its defensive capabilities and is maintaining a high level of readiness and alertness for a variety of defensive and offensive scenarios," the spokesperson said. Senior military officials were conducting assessments and closely monitoring developments, the spokesperson said, urging the public to remain vigilant. Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.