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By Tom O'Connor
Deputy Editor, National Security and Foreign Policy
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A U.S. defense official has confirmed to Newsweek that the United States was playing a role in supporting Israel's efforts to fend off an Iranian retaliatory strike following a series of large-scale Israeli attacks against Iran.
"Yes, the U.S. is assisting in shooting down missiles targeting Israel," the official told Newsweek.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched more than 200 strikes across Iran as part of "Operation Rising Lion," which began late Thursday and continued at least through Friday afternoon. The attacks targeted senior military sites, nuclear facilities as well as key personnel, including military leaders and nuclear scientists.
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The Israeli operation prompted vows of retaliation from Iran, whose military announced "Operation True Promise III" targeting Israel with what was said to be hundreds of ballistic missiles.
Moments before his press conference was abruptly cut off due to warnings of impending Iranian strikes, IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin declined to confirm whether or not Israel expected outside support, saying the country had demonstrated it "had the capability to defend itself."
Axios later cited an Israeli official saying that the U.S. was supporting Israel's defense against the Iranian attack.
The IDF announced following the Iranian strikes that the Islamic Republic launched "fewer than 100 missiles" against Israel and "most were intercepted by air defense systems or failed to reach their targets." Israel reportedly conducted additional strikes against Iran, while the IDF reported a third round of Iranian missile and drone strikes later Friday.
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The U.S. had previously lent its support to Israel during two series of strikes conducted by Iran, called "Operation True Promise I" and "Operation True Promise II" in April and October of 2024, respectively.
Those strikes were part of an increasingly destructive set of tit-for-tat attacks that have brought Iran and Israel into direct conflict for the first time amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, which is backed by the Iran-led Axis of Resistance coalition.
But the strikes commenced by Israel late Thursday marked the most serious escalation yet.
Among those killed were Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Major General Mohammed Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Major General Hossein Salami and IRGC Aerospace Forces commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. At least four nuclear scientists, along with a yet unspecified number of civilians, including women and children, were also reported by Iranian media to have been killed.
Sites targeted by Israel include nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, along with a number of areas in the capital Tehran, including residential buildings.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced shortly after the Israeli attack began that the U.S. was "not involved in strikes against Iran." He called the operation a "unilateral action" taken by Israel, which had advised U.S. officials the strikes were "necessary for its self-defense," and warned Iran to "not target U.S. interests or personnel."
Around this same time, an Israel military official told Newsweek that the operation had been conducted in response to intelligence assessing that Iran had obtained enough material to produce 15 nuclear bombs.
Iranian officials have repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon. The United States and Iran have held five rounds of negotiations toward achieving an agreement that would limit Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, with a sixth round of talks scheduled for Sunday.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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