Air raid sirens sounded and explosions were heard early Friday in the Israeli cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and surrounding areas following missile launches from Iran, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

The Israeli army said it detected three waves of missiles fired from Iran within less than an hour.

Sirens were activated in the Jerusalem area and the West Bank due to launches from Iran, said the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

A regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing around 1,300 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.