Israel and Iran Exchange Missile Strikes as U.S. Weighs Military Response

Israel launched a second wave of missile strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz, and Iran retaliated with ballistic missile salvos aimed at Israeli territory, with most intercepted by Iron Dome. The exchange marked the most direct military confrontation between the two countries, moving beyond the shadow war conducted through proxies. The U.S. deployed additional carrier strike group assets to the Eastern Mediterranean as officials debated intervention options.