After striking back on Friday night, Iran launched a new wave of strikes toward Israel on Saturday morning. Now, the two countries continue to exchange deadly missiles and threats, with fatalities and injuries reported on both sides.

A series of loud explosions are heard in central Israel as the military says it carried out intelligence-based strikes in Tehran.

Israel has launched what it is calling a "preemptive strike" against Iran and declared a state of emergency, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in Iran on Thursday, according to two sources with knowledge of the operation. It's not yet clear what Israel is targeting. Why it matters: Israel is directly attacking its biggest and best-armed adversary,

"This confrontation will not end with last night's limited actions and Iran's strikes will continue, and this action will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors," Fars reported, citing senior military officials.

The strikes are a sign of Israel’s shift away from restraint, containment and short wars, and toward using force to project power across the Middle East.