Middle East

Iran's Fars news agency said an explosion was heard at an airport in the central city of Isfahan but the cause was not immediately known. Iran suspended flights over the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, state media reported.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he had directed US Treasury “to continue to impose sanctions that further degrade Iran’s military industries.” “Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks,” he said, “we will not hesitate to take all necessary action to hold you accountable.”

Netanyahu has stated that while appreciating advice from allies, Israel will make its own decisions and take necessary actions to defend itself.

"It's clear the Israelis are making a decision to act," Cameron, who was speaking to reporters in Israel, said on Wednesday. "We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible."

The IDF Home Front Command guidelines also limit public gatherings to 1,000 people.

US air defenses operated from the US base in al-Tanf, as well as along the Jordanian border and in eastern Syria, where Washington maintains hundreds of troops in several air bases, one source says.

Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed doubt about Israel's ability to fully defend against an assault of this magnitude. However, they acknowledged Iran may opt for a smaller strike to avoid further escalation. The anticipated retaliation follows an alleged Israeli airstrike on April 1 that killed seven Iranian commanders in Syria.