President Joe Biden issues strong warning as Iran launches heavy missile attack on Israel

President Joe Biden issued a strong waring to Iran as missiles started raining down on central Israel and told the nation he was monitoring events from the White House situation room.

Iran launched a barrage of nearly 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday night and sparked terror on the streets of Tel Aviv in response to the death of Hezbollah's senior leadership and the ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

Rockets lit up the sky and smashed into buildings as air sirens blared across the capital just hours after the White House warned an attack was 'imminent.'

'The United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region,' Biden said in a post on X as the attack began. 

The president was otherwise non-specific about how the U.S. and its key ally would respond. He said this morning he and Vice President Kamala Harris convened his national security team 'to discuss Iranian plans to launch an imminent missile attack against Israel.'

The White House said Biden and Harris were monitoring events from the Situation Room and 'receiving regular updates from their national security team. President Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles that are targeting Israel. '

The U.S. has already taken steps to that end, sending U.S. air and sea power, as well as bolstering and replenishing Isreal's missile defense system. 

The U.S. updates came as live footage aired of Israel's vaunted Iron Dome took out some of the incoming rockets and sending burning fragments to the ground as Americans were urged to take cover in bomb shelters.

At one point shortly before 8pm local time in Tel Aviv, the incoming missile fire became so voluminous and close that CNN's Jim Sciutto had to quickly abandon the Tel Aviv rooftop he was using as his broadcast location. 

It remains unclear exactly what was hit and what the impact on the ground will be. 

The events tugged Biden's attention back to the Middle East, a day after he commented on Israel's plans for a 'limited' invasion of Lebanon. 

Asked Monday if he was 'comfortable' with what is being called a limited invasion, Biden responded: ‘I'm more aware than you might know, and I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now.'

The White House later underlined Israel's right to defend itself. 

'What we have said is consistently Israel has the right to defend itself against Hezbollah. We are not shedding tears over a terrorist,' said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 'We've been very clear Israel has right to defend itself,' she said, calling the support 'ironclad.' 

At the same time, policymakers are anxious to avoid a widening regional war. Iran's mission to the UN called the missile attack 'legal' and 'legitimate' and warned it would hit back should Israel respond. 

'Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue. Regional states and the Zionists' supporters are advised to part ways with the regime,' the Iranian mission wrote.

Israel is warning of unidentified 'consequences' for the attack on its homeland.

“We are on heightened alert on defense and offensive, we will protect the citizens of Israel. This [missile] fire will have consequences. We have plans, and we will act in the time and place that we choose,' said Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

Amid the relentless barrage from Iranian, Israeli police said gunmen opened fire in Tel Aviv on the boundary with Jaffa, four deaths and seven people injured, according to Israeli police.

TV footage showed gunmen getting off at a light rail station and opening fire. Israel media reported at least four people were seriously injured.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Embassy in Israel told its employees to return home and be prepared to enter bomb shelters as the White House warned of an imminent ballistic missile attack from Iran.

The warning comes with the Middle East on the brink of an all-out war and a day after Israeli forces launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon aimed at crippling the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah.

The first missiles were fired around 12:30 pm ET, according to reports out of Israel. The U.S. warning had come about five hours earlier. 

President Joe Biden convened a meeting of his national security council, including Vice President Harris, shortly before the attack began. 

'They reviewed the status of U.S. preparations to help Israel defend against these attacks and protect U.S. personnel in the region,' the White House said. 

The White House had warned any attack would carry 'severe consequences.' 

'The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,' a senior administration official told DailyMail.com earlier Tuesday.

'We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.'

Israeli defense minister Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the 'imminent' threat with U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin.  

The attack could exceed the scale of a previous bombardment in April which saw hundreds of drones and missiles launched at the country.

A Western source told Axios that unlike the April attack, this time Iran is expected to launch ballistic missiles that can reach Israel within 12 minutes and not with drones or cruise missiles that allow for much longer preparation time for defense and interception. 

The Pentagon said on Monday that United States was sending a few thousand additional forces to the Middle East to bolster the 40,000 already in the region and to help defend Israel. 

U.S. fighter jet squadrons are being deployed, including F-15E and F-16s - jets which played a significant role in shooting down Iranian drones when Tehran launched a missile and drone attack on Israel back in April.

F-22 jets and A-10 warplanes are also being sent, while the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is already positioned in the Gulf of Oman, with the USS Harry S Truman on its way as part of a scheduled deployment.

The order from U.S. Embassy, the first such order in months, indicates the severity of the situation. 

Three Israeli officials told The New York Times the attack would involve unmanned drones and missiles fired toward Israel.

The warning from the U.S. came at around noon Israel time, which was 5 am ET, an Israeli official told Axios.

The attack raises the possibility of all-out war between the two bitter enemies, who have fought a shadow war for years as Tehran sought to destroy Israel and Israel tried to rein in Iran's nuclear program. 

When Iran launched the direct attack on Israel in April, few of the missiles reached their targets. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have been escalating as they move to pick off the top leaders of Hezbollah. 

Over the past year, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel in solidarity with Hamas, the Gaza-based armed group also backed by Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Tuesday statement that Israel is facing 'large challenges' as it fights an Iranian axis. 

In the videotaped statement, he urges the public to listen to public safety guidelines from the army´s Home Front Command. He made no direct mention of a missile threat. 

Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari declared that Israeli officials had received the intelligence update from Washington but that no aerial threats from Iran had yet been detected.

He said Israel and its allies are in a 'high state of readiness' and any attack from Iran would have repercussions, while the US Embassy in Jerusalem instructed its employees and families to 'shelter in place'. 

A large-scale attack by Iran on Israel could trigger all-out war in the Middle East, with experts warning any such escalation would likely see the US come to Israel's defence.

Fears of an Iranian attack were raised as the Israeli military warned the residents of more than two dozen Lebanese border communities to immediately evacuate their homes after announcing the start of ground operations against Hezbollah late last night.

IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee told Lebanese citizens to flee north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometres (36 miles) from the border, raising fears that the IDF may intend to send its forces deep into southern Lebanon or step up the intensity of airstrikes.

'You must head north of the Awali River to save yourselves and leave your houses immediately,' said the statement.