Two Israeli sources told Reuters that Israel is preparing for an Iranian response in the coming hours. The Iranian response may include the launch of hundreds of ballistic missiles toward Israel.
Channel 12 News reported that Israel expects Iran to retaliate in the coming hours. It is expected that the response will not be a single strike, but rather continuous and prolonged.
The site added that the UAVs Iran launched will arrive within a few hours, and it is likely that Iran will attempt to time ballistic missile launches to coincide with the UAV attacks.
Meanwhile, Israeli sources told Al Arabiya that over 300 targets in Iran had been struck. Iranian reports say that a Hamadan radar station sustained severe damage.
IDF spokesman Effie Defrin confirmed that the Iranian response has begun, and Iran has launched over 100 UAVs towards Israel. "We are working to eliminate the threat," he stressed.
The UAVs are expected to reach Israel approximately nine hours after their launch. If cruise missiles are launched, they will reach Israel approximately 2-3 hours later.
At around 3:00 a.m. Friday morning, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike on Iran, targeting key government and military officials, as well as Iranian military and nuclear sites.
Parallel to this, the Israeli government raised the alert level nationwide, reducing activity on the home front to essential activity only, closing educational institutions, banning gatherings, and ordering key services to be prepared for emergencies.