Israel Intercepts Iranian Missile Waves After Trump’s Ultimatum

Israeli air defences intercepted multiple waves of Iranian missile fire early Thursday, with at least two attacks occurring shortly after United States President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address on the ongoing Middle East war, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.

Police reported that officers were called to “several” impact sites in central Israel following the first attack, with local media estimating nine locations. Medical sources said four people sustained light wounds in the Tel Aviv area. The IDF later announced it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel” on three more occasions within about six hours, activating air raid sirens across much of northern and central Israel.

The military’s Home Front Command subsequently allowed residents to leave protected spaces nationwide. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the later attacks.

Israeli media attributed the damage pattern to the use of cluster munitions, which explode mid-air and scatter bomblets across wide areas. Iran and Israel have previously traded accusations of deploying such weapons.

Trump’s address marked his first formal White House speech on the conflict since the war began on February 28, when US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The president warned that failure to reach a negotiated settlement would trigger severe consequences. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages,” Trump said. “If there is no deal… we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard”.

Earlier on Wednesday, as Jewish Israelis prepared for the Passover holiday, emergency services said Iranian missile fire wounded 14 people, including an 11-year-old girl. Medical personnel reported the girl was in critical condition with shrapnel injuries, while a 13-year-old boy and a 36-year-old woman were in moderate condition.

Separately, the Home Front Command issued air raid sirens in northern Israel early Thursday over incoming attacks from Lebanon. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that joined the war on March 2, claimed responsibility for rocket fire targeting Israeli troops in border areas and a drone attack on a village.