Israel's defense minister threatened Iran's supreme leader after Iranian missiles damaged a hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 240 people were wounded. Meanwhile Israel struck a heavy water reactor linked to Iran's nuclear program. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blamed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said the military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist." U.S. officials said earlier this week that President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. The White House announced Thursday that Trump will decide whether to join Israel's campaign against Iran's military and nuclear program within two weeks.

Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to attack key facilities and kill top generals and scientists — a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and buildings shook below. Israel's ongoing airstrikes and intelligence operation and Iran's retaliation raised fears of all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.